Immortal Soul Trilogy Opposites Attract (Book 1)
by OtakuMisaki
Summary: How would you feel if everything you knew was a lie? That you weren't human, but something greater? Would your world fall apart? Dive into this mythical adventure that is based off of P.C. Cast's Goddess Summoning Books and Courtney Cole's Bloodstone Saga! Rated M for language. This is my first story that I have ever written and is is available on my blog/website.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One.

Luna Matlin woke up once again to the sound of an owl hooting outside her window. She remained frozen, staring into the eyes of the owl as the owl's eyes leered into hers, seemingly searching for something deep within her. Luna emerged from her bed, threw a robe on and walked over to the window. The owl did not stir and continued to observe her studiously. It was not afraid and neither was Luna. She opened her window and extended her arm out, unafraid. The owl studied the arm, knowing there was no ill intent on Luna's part. It slowly walked to her hand and with a huff it jumped on her thumb. Luna smiled at the owl and suddenly it leaped to her shoulder, rubbing its head on her cheek. Instinctually, Luna petted the owl's head. Suddenly, there was a loud hooting sound out in the night. The owl dipped its head in contentment and satisfaction, which was returned by Luna. Then the owl flew out the window to join its friends. _Such a lovely creature_, Luna thought to herself. She closed her window and returned to her bed. She waited for exhaustion to take over, but it never came. She tossed and turned in her bed with frustration. _Maybe I should fly out the window with the owl seeing how I can't get any sleep at night. Note to self: ask mom for sleeping pills in the morning._ Luna remained in this motionless, sleepless state until the sun crept its way into her room. She fell asleep as the sun touched her body. Her mother called for her, "Luna! Time to get up for school!" If only school was at night, so I could sleep through the day. But then I wouldn't be able to see any animals…I guess I better get up. If I'm going to be a vet someday, I need to do well in school. Luna jumped from her bed and went into her bathroom. She examined her appearance. Her golden tresses of hair were frantically pointing in random directions. Her translucent face was clear of any discrepancies and her eyes remained green. Her eyes widened, searching for the bags of exhaustion that should be under her eyes. She waited for them appear, but they never did. With an exasperated sigh she stepped into the shower to get ready for school. After the shower, Luna threw on a t-shirt and a pair of shorts, despite the cold temperatures invading the outdoors. Her jacket remained on her desk in her room. She threw her long hair into a high ponytail and went downstairs to eat yogurt and cereal for breakfast. Her mother thought that she was crazy for being a vegetarian, but it never bothered Luna. She couldn't stand the sight of meat or chicken, let alone ingest it. She quickly prepared a salad for lunch and headed out the door to her car. "Bye mom! Bye dad! See you later!" she waved. "Bye Lu-Lu!" her mother and father said simultaneously, using her childhood nickname. Luna drove to her friend, Elysia's house. Elysia's auburn tresses bounced up and down as she emerged from her house. Her brown eyes filled with happiness.

"Hey girl!" Elysia greeted as she stepped into the car. "Hey! So I am so ready for this biology test. I studied for a solid 2 hours. How about you?"

Luna responded as she started the car, "I didn't study that much, I just skimmed over the pages. I'm not worried about the test at all. There really is no need for me to study as much."

"I don't know why you put so much time into it when we both have this," Elysia said, pointing to her head.

"Yeah, well my parents think that having photographic memory doesn't fall under studying so they made me sit in my room for at least 2 hours looking at the book. Even though, I've already memorized the book from cover to cover." Luna pulled into Raina's driveway, honking the horn a couple times.

"Yeah, me too. How bizarre is it that you, Raina and I have photographic memory. Not only that, you want to be a vet, I want to be an architect and Raina wants to be a lawyer. I feel like somehow we're all connected somehow. I mean how do we have great memory and our parents don't? I just find that weird."

"Yeah, I hear ya. It's probably just a weird coincidence. Nothing to get stressed out about."

"Hey guys! Sorry I'm late!" Raina ran towards the car, hopping in the backseat. She pushed a piece of her honey brown hair behind her ear, out of her brown eyes. Luna backed up and started towards school. "What took you so long? Were you writing new amendments for the Constitution?" Elysia joked.

"Haha, very funny. No, I was just finishing up this application for this summer internship for the local courthouse." Raina responded enthusiastically.

"Wow, that's so cool Rae…I know you will definitely get it. They'd be stupid to reject you," Luna said encouragingly. "Don't you think so, Ellie?" Luna added, glaring at Elysia.

"Yes, very cool. In fact, I'm jealous that you're doing something productive over the summer. I should start looking into architecture workshops and art classes to improve my sketching." The girls continued their conversation about summer as they pulled into the parking lot of Parker High School. Luna spotted a parking space immediately and pulled into it and turned the engine off. The girls emerged from the car and started walking towards the entrance. They were stopped by a group of jocks, one of which notoriously known, Justin Anderson.

"Hey girls. We were just talking about this party that's going on tonight and were wondering if you hotties were planning on being there," Justin said with a wink and grin plastered on his face.

"No," Raina said with an irritated glare.

"Aw, come on. Don't be like that, Rae," Travis Carson said.

"I'm gonna be how I want to be. If you don't like that I'm just gonna take that parking ticket you got last week and shove it up your a-"

"What she means boys is that we are not interested," Luna interjected.

"Are you sure, Lu-Lu? I was hoping we could get to know each other better," Justin said, stroking Luna's arm suggestively.

"I'd be stupid to go with you." Luna snapped, yanking her arm out of Justin's reach.

"What about you, Elysia?" Cody Johnston asked.

"Hmm…let me think. I've been thinking so hard about this."

"You have, huh?"

"Yes, I have," Elysia, purred, stroking his arm.

"And what conclusion have you come to?"

"Come here. Let me whisper it to you." Cody leaned in and turned his head towards Elysia's mouth. "HELL NO!" Elysia yelled into his ear. Cody jumped back, startled at the sudden increase of volume in his ear. He clutched his ear in his hand, writhing in pain.

"Just you wait girls. You'll see it our way and you'll want to be with us. You can't say no forever," Justin said as he pushed Cody away with the rest of the jocks following close behind him.

"Ugh." Elysia said.

"Tell me about it," Luna agreed.

"When will they get it through their thick ass skulls that no one sane would ever be interested in them?" Raina asked, irritated.

"When will you stop resulting to violence?" Elysia asked.

"I'm not violent. I'm just defensive about who comes near me and acts like a total dou-"

"Rae, don't finish that sentence. We get it. Those guys are arrogant jerks that think they can get anything they set their eyes on. Now let's get to class before we are late for the bio test," Luna interrupted. They walked to their class in silence.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two.

Cyrus walked into his garden to pick up a few herbs. Then, he grabbed his violin and headed for the nearest hospital. As he came in through the main entrance he was greeted by the lady at the front desk, "Good morning, Cyrus. Where are you helping out today?" "I thought I'd help out some patients in the oncology center, if that's alright?" Cyrus sincerely responded.

"Yes, just make sure you let the nurses know you are there to help and they should be okay with it." "Thanks, Tracy." Cyrus said as he headed for the elevator. What a nice boy…He's going to be a great doctor when he grows up, Tracy thought, glancing in Cyrus' direction. Cyrus entered the elevator and pushed the 6th button. He checked his pocket to make sure the herbs were still there. He pushed his golden bangs out of his blue eyes and stepped out of the elevator. He stopped by the nurses' station and asked them if he could help out with any patients. "Sure, Cyrus. We always appreciate your help," the nurse gushed. I can't believe I'm flustered around a 17-year-old boy…what is wrong with me? The nurse thought, embarrassed by her sinful thoughts. "Okay, I'll be done in an hour or so." Cyrus headed for the first room. He knocked on the door and greeted the patient, "Hello Mrs. Johnson. How are you doing today?"

"Cyrus, it is good to see you! I'm sick as always, what have you got for me today?"

"I brought some herbs to help make you feel better. I also brought my violin because I know you've been having some trouble sleeping lately."

"Thank you." Mrs. Johnson sat up in her bed and Cyrus beat the herbs into a pulp. He then mixed it into a tea and handed it to her. She sipped it, expecting it to taste disgustingly bitter. She braced herself for the bitterness, but it never came. She slowly began to regain her strength and with that came a smile on her face. "Thank you, Cyrus. Can you play my favorite song please?"

"Sure thing, Mrs. Johnson." Cyrus took out his violin and quickly wiped it down with the cloth. He checked his bow, making sure it was in good condition to use. He then started to play Mozart's 2nd movement of Concerto No.5. His fingers grazed and glided the strings delicately and his bow barely moving. Mrs. Johnson closed her eyes, listening to the fragility of the song. Soon enough, she drifted off to sleep. Cyrus continued playing until he reached the end of the song. He put his violin away and left a note for Mrs. Johnson saying that he will be back tomorrow. Then he left the room and visited the next patient.

An hour passed and Cyrus headed for the exit of the hospital. "See you tomorrow, Tracy," Cyrus said as he waved.

"Okay, bye now Cyrus." Tracy responded, turning back to her computer to finish her work. Cyrus looked at his watch and it read 9:30. He had half an hour left before he had to go to school. I might as well head over there now to get my schedule from the office. Cyrus thought as he headed for his car. He pulled his car into the parking lot of Parker High School and parked it. He exited his car and locked the car, setting the alarm. Then he headed for the entrance of the school. Once he was in the school he looked around, observing the environment. Then, he saw a sign that said Office and he headed in that direction. He walked in and the lady at the front desk looked up and asked him, "Are you the new student, Cyrus Suns?"

"Yes, I'm here to check in and get my new schedule."

"Okay, so we reviewed your schedule and gave you all the classes you requested. It looks like you will have free periods for the first two classes of the day. Will that be an issue?"

"No, I need that extra time because I help out at the hospital every morning."

"That's nice. I wish more of our students were like you. Will you need any help to your classes?"

"Um…Sure. I'd like to get to know the layout of the school before I get lost," Cyrus chuckled. "Okay, I will call someone to show you around. Feel free to take a seat."

"Thank you." Cyrus said as he sat down in the nearest chair. He tapped the arm of the chair in boredom, waiting for time to go by. As he continued the drumming of his fingers, he started to hum a melody. His blue eyes widened in realization. He quickly pulled out his songbook and copied down the rhythm and melody he just played. He was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. There was a green eyed, golden haired girl standing in its path. He couldn't explain it, but Cyrus felt as though he had seen this girl someone. As though he knew her somehow. The name Luna floated into his mind, the sound of it reeking of familiarity. "Cyrus, this is Luna Matlin. She will be the one to show you the layout of the school," the lady said. Cyrus' mouth was agape with shock and as soon as the lady looked up and really focused on Luna and Cyrus, she gasped in astonishment. How did I know her name before I was told? I don't recognize her, but I keep getting these feelings that I should know who she is. I'll just have to get to know her and get to the bottom of this, Cyrus thought. "Are you two related?" The lady suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

"No, not at all," Luna answered first. Her eyes shifted to the spot where Cyrus was sitting at. Her eyes held a hint of confusion and she tilted to her head as if thinking deeply about something. Cyrus remained silent in his own thoughts and locked eyes with Luna as if they were lost in a mental conversation. "Why do you say that?" Luna asked.

"It's just that you guys share a resemblance. I mean you both have the same color hair, the same face structure. If you had the same color eyes then you guys could be twins. Are you sure you aren't twins?"

"I'm positive. I'm an only child."

"Huh. Okay. I'll let you go now," the lady said and turned to look at Cyrus and said, "If you need anything Cyrus, feel free to stop by."

"I will," Cyrus said with a wink. Luna scoffed at the gesture with annoyance and irritation. They walked out of the office and Luna immediately asked for his schedule. "Okay it looks like you have History, English and Chemistry with me. So I guess I'll show you where your third period will be. We can take our time because the teacher is pretty cool about new students." Luna steered them in the direction of the History class. On their way there, Luna pointed out the nearest bathrooms and drinking fountains. After explaining the location of the utilities, there was a significant gap of silence between Cyrus and Luna. Luna spoke first, "So do you talk at all? Or is just with me? Because we don't know each other well enough to just start judging each other. I mean, you seem like a harmless guy and all, but I get the feeling that you don't like me." She exhaled after getting the pressure off of her.

"No, it's not that I don't like you. I'm just trying to figure you out," Cyrus answered.

"And what is there to figure out?"

"Exactly."

"I'm sorry I guess I'm just not getting it, what the hell are you talking about?"

"I don't know, but I want to find out."

"Okay, we're not hooking up. I just want that fact to be known before you start getting on my bad side and act like those jocks."

"No! That's not what I meant. Let me start over. I keep getting this sense of familiarity around you. As if I know you somehow and I have this instinctual need to protect you. I feel like I love you, not like a girlfriend or pet. But love as in familial love. I don't think you were telling the truth when you said you were an only child. I mean if you look at the physical facts. We look the same and I feel like I should know you." Luna suddenly stopped walking and her face turned pale. She quickly sucked gulps of air and blew it out as if to soothe her anxious state. Slowly, the color came back to her face and she broke through the awkwardness of the situation. "Okay. So you're saying I'm stupid and a liar?"

"No! That's not what I'm saying. I just think we should pay closer attention to the similarities rather than the differences between us. Double check your family tree and I'll check mine. There is a possibility that we are siblings or cousins. I just know that we are somehow related, I just don't know how."

"Fine, but don't get your hopes up. And if this is a way of trying to get into my pants then I'm going to get my girls, Raina and Elysia and we'll kick your ass, got it?"

"Trust me when I say I'm not into you that way. However, I'd be willing to consider the Raina and Elysia you just mentioned," Cyrus confidently said with a wink and devilish grin. That earned him a slap on the arm by Luna and another scoff as she continued walking on.

"Sure, why not? What's the harm in letting you go near Raina and Elysia? Go ahead. Ask them out, I dare you," Luna said over her shoulder in a challenging tone.

"I take that approval seriously. Thank you for your permission, I thoroughly appreciate it," Cyrus said with a bow. Luna shook her head and there was a grin hidden on her face. They arrived at their history class and like Luna said, the teacher wasn't upset at their tardiness. The teacher introduced himself as Mr. Jackson, turned to face the class and continued, "Class, this is Cyrus Suns. He is a new student here at Parker High School and I expect everyone to make his stay here as comfortable as possible."

"Thank you Mr. Jackson. Is there anything I will need to be prepared for this class?" Cyrus asked, innocently.

"Yes, you will need to pick up a textbook for this class after school and make sure you have a 3 ring binder and a notebook for this class only. For now, you can sit next to Ms. Matlin and share notes and the textbook with her until you get the required materials." Luna nodded her head and led Cyrus towards their seats. The class remained silent, staring intently at the two. Suddenly the silence was broken by a collection of female whispers, "Do you think they're related?" which was followed by an "I hope not, he's hot." Cyrus' head snapped up at this and gave a wink to the group of girls whispering. There were not only whispers by the girls, but by the guys as well, "We got another pretty boy. He better keep his hands off Luna. She's mine." This was followed by another hushed voice, "If he lays a hand on her, I'm taking this kid out." Luna didn't hear these quiet comments, but Cyrus heard it and immediately followed it with a quick squeeze on Luna's hand, looking at the jocks in the corner whilst doing so. The jocks glared at Cyrus and mouthed back off. Cyrus grinned and looked at Luna. She looked just as angry at the blatant action; however her eyes held a look of confusion. He just shook his head and they continued on to their seats. For the whole duration of the period, the whole focus of the class remained on Luna and Cyrus. Luna slightly turned her head in the direction of Cyrus and whispered, "What's wrong with everyone? They're acting like they've never seen a boy and a girl sit next to each other. It's like elementary school all over again."

"That's because they can see the obvious resemblance between us," Cyrus whispered back. "Here, let me show you," Cyrus took out his iPhone and quickly snapped a picture of Luna. Then he held the photo of Luna next to his face. Luna gasped loudly causing the teacher's attention to shift in their direction and Cyrus stealthily putting his phone away. "Is something the matter, Luna?" Mr. Jackson asked in a serious tone.

"No, sir. I was just thinking about the Abraham Lincoln's contribution to the abolishment of slavery and how it was almost rendered ineffective due to the rise of President Andrew Johnson."

"Well, I'm glad that you find many surprises in the textbook, Luna. Now if it's okay with you, I would like to continue talking about the South's economic system in comparison to the North's economic system."

"Don't mind me, sir. I'll keep it down. I'm sorry to interrupt." Mr. Jackson nodded his head in acknowledgement and continued with his lecture. Luna turned back to Cyrus and whispered frantically, "We look exactly alike! Except for the eyes of course. There is no way we aren't related."

"I'm impressed. You're able to think under pressure," Cyrus complimented.

"Cyrus, that's not what I'm talking about. Stop changing the subject."

"Sorry, but yeah I tried to tell you. We should talk more during lunch."

"I think that's a good idea."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three.

Luna and Cyrus made their way to the lunchroom, only to be stopped by Justin, Cody, Travis and the rest of their jock army. "Hey, you're the new kid right?" Justin addressed Cyrus.

"Yeah, and the name's Cyrus," Cyrus replied.

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No, but there are quite a few hot girls here," Cyrus said as he winked at Luna. Justin moved between Cyrus and Luna and said, "Hey man, I don't want to have to hurt you so I'll give you a heads-up. Luna is my girl and you are not allowed to go out with my girl." As he said this, Justin draped an arm over Luna's shoulders, only to have them shaken off by Luna.

"Ew, gross Justin. I am not YOUR girl and I will never be YOUR girl."

"She's just playing hard to get. She's still my girl." Luna rolled her eyes with an exasperated scowl. Cody and Travis stepped forward and spoke next, "And Cyrus stay away from Raina and Elysia."

"Yeah, because that is so true, come on Cyrus, let's go find Elysia and Raina," Luna said, pushing Cyrus towards their table. Justin narrowed his eyes and mouthed _she's mine_. The jocks returned to their table, but maintained a hard stare at Cyrus, looking for a reason to beat him up. Luna and Cyrus took their seats across from Elysia and Raina. Raina looked up from her government textbook and Elysia put down her phone, which had a tab open for vet internships. Their mouths dropped and their eyes widened in shock. "Yes, yes. We look alike. We AREN'T related. Anyway, let's just get the introductions out of the way. Cyrus, this is Elysia and Raina. Raina and Elysia, this is Cyrus. I met him in the office when the secretary asked me to show him around. And I should also probably tell you guys that Justin and his friends aren't exactly friendly with Cyrus."

Cyrus nodded and spoke next, "So, Raina, you want to be a lawyer huh? And you Elysia want to be a vet."

"Yes, I think there should be a more effective criminal justice system and with the crime rate rising, there is a need for more lawyers," Raina spoke eloquently. Cyrus nodded his head, clearly impressed with Raina's beliefs.

"I wish to be a vet because I love animals. If there weren't any animals in the world, we wouldn't be here. We all exist in a circle of life and if a significant piece of that circle just dissipated, we wouldn't be able to survive and thus we wouldn't exist. We need the animals just like they need us," Elysia said passionately, her eyes gleaming over with love.

"And what about you Luna? What is your dream job?"

"An astrophysicist."

"Why?"

"Because I am fascinated with space. I am particularly fond of the moon. It's so warm and inviting. I especially love going out at night and looking through my telescope. That is when the view is exceptionally great and all of the nocturnal animals come out. It is so peaceful at night and many interesting things can occur when the sun is gone," Luna said happily.

"Hmm…you all obviously have a passion for your job. It's interesting to hear it from other people."

"What do you want to be Cyrus?"

"I would really like to be a performing doctor. Before you ask, what I mean is that when I provide visits to patients, I would like to play my violin to keep them relaxed. I go to the hospital every day because I am a volunteer there. One of my favorite patients there, Mrs. Johnson, she loves it when I play because it is soothing and it takes her mind off the pain. If you want, I'd be happy to play for you ladies."

"That'd be cool! When are you free?"

"How about you guys come over to my place later? That way you can hear my music and my parents can see that I made new friends and I'm not lonely at my new school. They always worry about me fitting in."

"Sure. Luna can drive us; she has the car keys today."

"Is that alright with you Luna?"

"Yeah, I'd be up for that. Maybe we can do the research you wanted to do afterwards."

"What research?"

"We wanted to figure out if and how we are related since we share a striking resemblance."

"We can help too, if you would like."

"I think that that would great. It would go by a lot faster if it was done by more than just the two of us."

"Okay, so we meet in front of the school after classes. Is everyone okay with that?" There was a resounding yes from everyone at the table. Luna, Elysia, Raina and Cyrus continued to talk while Justin intently stared at their table.

"How does he do it?" Justin asked.

"What?" Cody asked. Justin grabbed Cody's face forcefully and turned it in the direction of Luna's table. "Hey! He better not try something on Raina."

"Dude. Those girls haven't gone out with any guys and they aren't gay. I just don't understand them. They continue to tease us, but have no attention to date any of us. What does that guy have what we don't have?" Travis asked angrily.

"Nothing. We are everything a girl could ask for."

"Then why aren't they groveling before us?"

"I don't know," a frustrated Justin, crushed his can of Coca-Cola. "We should talk to him after school; maybe change his mind about who he should be hanging with." The rest of the jocks grumbled in agreement.

They met up in front of the school as planned and waiting by Luna's car was Justin and his gang. "Hey Luna! Wanna come over and hang out today?" Justin asked.

"Nah, I'm busy. Raina, Elysia and I are going over to Cyrus' to listen to him play."

"Humph," Justin grumbled once again. He walked past Cyrus, purposely bumping his shoulder into his. "This isn't over," he whispered so low the girls couldn't hear.

"We'll see," Cyrus glared at Justin. "Shall we?" Cyrus asked as he turned towards the girls and gestured towards the car.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four.

Elysia, Raina, Luna and Cyrus arrived at his house in a hurry. They were all determined to find answers to their never-ending string of questions. When they made it through the door, they faced Mrs. Suns, "Hello Cy…oh! You've brought friends! Won't you introduce us Cyrus?"

"Yes, mom…this is Raina, Elysia and Luna," Cyrus said, pointing to each girl as he said their name. "Guys, this is my mom."

"Feel free to call me Alyssa, Mrs. Suns is so formal."

"Okay, Alyssa," Raina spoke up first.

"So since Cyrus recently started coming to our school, I'll assume you just moved here. Where did you move from if you don't mind my asking?"

"Chicago. It was a bit cold for us and the weather was becoming unbearable. So Matthew, Mr. Suns, decided that it would be best to go through a change in scenery."

"That's nice. You have a really nice son, Alyssa. He told us all about his dreams to become a doctor and how he volunteers at the local hospital."

"Oh yes! His father and I are so proud of him. You should've have seen him when he was a baby…He had a stethoscope he would carry around. Oh I'm sure I can find some pictures around here somewhere…"

"No! I mean, mom that's okay. We are just going to my room to study for history." Cyrus pushed the girls hastily in the direction of the stairs and they trudged to his room.

_Hmm…Very peculiar. That Luna looks like Cyrus. I hope they don't realize it. I don't want Cyrus to find out he's adopted. His wrath would come down on us. He chose us because we look the most alike compared to Cyrus. If Cyrus were to find out he was adopted, his true self will awaken. I better ask Matthew to get a sample from the river of Lethe. I just have a feeling those girls are up to something…_Alyssa thought.

Once they made it to Cyrus' room, they immediately chose a spot in the room to lounge. Cyrus hurriedly grabbed his laptop and opened up a tab to make it look like they were doing history homework. After having their alibi ready, Cyrus opened up a new tab and started to work on their much-needed research for Cyrus and Luna's resemblance to each other.

"Have you found anything?" Raina asked.

"No, not yet. But maybe we should research each individual person and see if there any correlations that can be made. I'll start first," Cyrus offered. Cyrus first typed in medicine, everything pointed to doctor or healer. Then he added music to the search, musician came up. Next, he added his disdain of the moon and darkness and his love of the sun and darkness, the Internet labeled him as an insomniac. He stopped looking for literal and rational answers and turned to mythology and folklore. He came across a Wikipedia page titled "List of health deities". He sighed in resignation and reluctance, and then searched through the cultures. He scrolled down the list until his hand suddenly stopped on the list that included the Greek deities. He clicked on Apollo and treaded over the information the webpage had to offer. His mind was suddenly spinning. Could he be the Greek deity of the Sun? Of healing? Of music? Of light? It seemed impossible; he shook his head, not wanting to believe what was right in front of him. He closed the webpage immediately and closed his computer. He took out his history book and started to read, he looked up when Elysia spoke up, "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm getting the history homework done. Can't learn without doing the work," Cyrus retorted.

"Cyrus. What the hell is your deal? She meant no harm; she was asking you a simple question. What are you so worked up about? Did you find something?"

"I think you guys should leave," Cyrus said. The girls were taken aback by Cyrus' response. However, they all packed up and headed towards the door.

After Raina and Elysia left the room, Luna turned towards Cyrus and said, "If there is anything you need, anything to tell me, my door is always open. And you have my number." Cyrus nodded and remained still until he heard the retreating footsteps and the door shut immediately afterwards. That night, Cyrus went to bed early, only to be disrupted by a strange dream. Cyrus was standing in the middle of a forest and standing before him was a beautiful young woman with black hair and full red lips. Her eyes were sweet honey. She looked up at Cyrus and said, "Calliope calls you, God of the Sun." Cyrus smiled at the sound of her bell-like voice and started walking towards the woman who called herself Calliope. With a swift movement of her hand, delicate papyrus appeared before Cyrus. She spoke melodically again, "For you, God of the Sun, the finest paper of the Gods. Use it wisely." With that, she disappeared and the paper remained at his feet. He picked it up and was suddenly ascending towards a bright light. Cyrus woke up in a disoriented state. He looked around, not sure what he was looking for. He felt something in his hand and looked down. The paper that the woman from his dream gave him was lying in his hand.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five.

Luna fidgeted in her seat throughout the day; she was feeling uncomfortable about Cyrus' absence at school. She hoped he was okay. He wasn't replying to her calls or text messages and every time she called his home phone, his mother would say, "I'm sorry, Luna. Cyrus isn't feeling well, but I'll let him know you called." Somehow, Luna didn't feel the apology reflecting in Mrs. Suns' voice. In a way, she sounded relieved and it sounded strange when Luna pursued the thought. She knew something was up with Cyrus and Mrs. Suns played a role in it. She would get to the bottom of it.

When she arrived home, she texted Elysia and Raina and told them that she would be busy studying. She received curious replies, but not enough to rouse any suspicion. They left her to her studying and in a way, Luna wasn't lying. She didn't explicitly say what she was studying and there wasn't a trace of a lie in omission. So she took out her journal and started taking down notes that circulated around Cyrus' behavior. Number one, he was in a hurry to find answers. Nothing seemed abnormal or out of character for Cyrus so Luna pushed further. Number two, Cyrus opened his laptop and was searching. His eyes were filled with frustration and a longing that could only be satiated by answers. His lips were pursed as if he were biting back a sigh of exasperation. Luna noticed the change in his demeanor when he suddenly closed the computer. He seemed frantic and he didn't want to share what he had found. This could only mean one thing. He found something, but it had an unbelievable truth to it. _What? What is it? What could have him so worked up that he missed all his classes and is refusing to talk to me, Raina or Elysia?_ Luna explored all of the possibilities. All of the explorations ended in failure. However, Luna continued to press the matter and she continued to do so until she reached exhaustion. She took a break to go to the living room and get something to eat. Her mind was wandering as she prepared a snack; she was determined to find out what Cyrus was hiding.

Cyrus sat up on his bed; he had been in his bed all day. He had convinced his mom to let him stay home because he wasn't feeling well, but he knew as well as she did that he wasn't sick. While his parents were at work, he examined the papyrus he received from Calliope in his dream. His eyes sparkled with a hint of wonder and curiosity. Next, he looked at the pen he had received from Calliope in his second dream. It had the letter A inscribed on it and it had hinted at the secrets Cyrus had been desperately been trying to keep from his new friends. There was one thing he was positive about and that fact was that this woman, Calliope was real. How else would he be getting these items for her? Cyrus groaned in frustration, trying to discover what these items meant. He decided to do more research on the matter. He opened his laptop to Wikipedia and typed in Calliope. The first thing his eyes flitted to was the picture of her. She looked like the exact woman in his dream. He shivered at the fact, a bit perturbed. He read the description of Calliope. Apparently she was one of the Muses of the arts, sciences and literature. She was particularly known for being the Muse of epic poetry. His eyes widened as his gaze abruptly turned to the papyrus and pen. Not only was this woman a sort of goddess and he a god, they both share the talent to write epic poetry. Cyrus picked up the pen and began to write. Five minutes had passed and Cyrus put down his pen to reveal what he had written:

**"By the shore of Gitchie Gumee,/By the shining Big-Sea-Water,/At the doorway of his wigwam,/In the pleasant Summer morning,/Hiawatha stood and waited."**

Cyrus found himself smiling at his work, but that smile quickly faded when the words started to glow on the paper. They rose off the paper and swiftly swirled around Cyrus. Then, they all assembled into the chair by Cyrus' desk and became one. As seconds went by, Cyrus stared in disbelief as he saw the figure of a person slowly appear. One by one, the glowing words revealed long, cascading black hair. Once the honey-colored eyes were revealed, Cyrus knew what it was or rather who it was. He was confirmed by the smug smile that tug around her rose colored lips. She had come for him. The mighty Muse of epic poetry stood before him. Calliope had come for him.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six.

Cyrus was dumbfounded. He didn't know what to do, let alone what to say in the presence of someone so godly. It's not every day that someone gets to meet a mythical goddess. A few moments passed and Calliope waited patiently in the chair, smiling as if she was in on some kind of secret. However, that secret was the turmoil that Cyrus was experiencing in his mind. She watched the emotions play across his face, from shock to frustration to anger to curiosity until his face finally became blank. Although Calliope could not see the physical turmoil, she could sense the emotions he was hiding behind his blank stare. Eventually, Calliope was the first to speak, "Apollo my dear, you're going to have to say something eventually." At the sound of the Sun God's name, Cyrus eyes widened, but returned to its original state of emptiness. "I'm sorry. Are you not going by Apollo now? What is it? Phoebus?" Calliope said teasingly.

"Cyrus. Cyrus Suns," Cyrus finally replied.

"How original. I don't know what the Fates were thinking when they brought you into this life."

"The Fates?"

"Yes. They are also called the Moirai. There are three Fates. Clotho is the spinner and she creates life. Then there is Lachesis, she is the allotter and she determines how long a person will live. However, you have nothing to fear from Lachesis. After all, you are immortal. Where was I? Oh yes. The last fate is Atropos and she is known as the unturnable because she ends life."

"You said I was immortal…I don't understand."

"You are. You just haven't tapped into your immortality yet. You can die now as a human. This is why your inner-God called me to you. I am here to help you through your journey. First, let me explain to you who you really are."

"You are Apollo. The Greek and Roman God of light and the sun, truth and prophecy, healing, plague, music, and one of my favorites, poetry. You are the son of Zeus and Leto. And let's not forget your twin sister, Artemis. She is your polar opposite in a way because she rises with the moon while you rise with the sun."

"And you are Calliope, the Muse of epic poetry, but you obviously know that," Cyrus said sheepishly.

"With this information, it will help you on your journey and in the most dangerous battles."

"What am I supposed to do? What am I battling?"

"First, you need to brush up on some of your Greek and Roman mythology. Next, you must determine who Artemis is in this life. I will change my form and take the position as your, how do you say, girlfriend."

"First of all, how do I explain the fact that I have a girlfriend now. And why didn't you just choose cousin or something else?"

"Because, we are closer than friends. This is why you must brush up on some history. You need to understand our relationship in order to put your trust in me. Now, as I was saying, I will help you find potential allies by finding some of the lost goddesses."

"Who are the lost goddesses?"

"They are the three virgin goddesses that were hidden away by a great enemy of yours. These goddesses are Athena, Hestia and your sister, Artemis. With their help, you can unlock your immortality and take your place among the other Gods and Goddesses on Mount Olympus."

"Calliope, what am I looking for to help me unlock my immortality?"

"Well, because music is one of the most important things to you, I'm assuming that the answers lie within your lyre. If you manage to play the correct tune, it can unlock your immortality."

"Why would the key be in the lyre?"

"Before you were brought to this world, you were battling Hades and Niobe. I'll get back to them, do not fret. You created a solution to return your immortality in case Hades had managed to turn you mortal. As you may or may not know, Hades is the God of the Underworld, one of the Big Three. Niobe was the Queen of Thebes who had bragged about her superiority to your mother, Leto. She thought having seven boys and seven girls made her greater because Leto only had you and your sister. You had killed her sons and Artemis killed her daughters. It was said in the story that she turned to stone due to her profound sadness. In reality, she was banished to the Underworld. However, Hades was drawn to her sadness and quickly turned it into anger. With his help, Niobe sought out revenge against you and your sister for destroying her children. Hades had given you a potion that was mixed with your ambrosia, obviously without your knowledge, which made you mortal. You knew that one day Niobe would come back and seek vengeance, which is why you developed a key. You composed a song that only you can play on your lyre, which only you can touch. No one can destroy it or move it. It sits in your home, waiting for you to unlock it. However, once you unlock it, you will gain all of your powers and memory. Afterwards, I must help you sort through the chaos you will experience and separate fantasy and reality. Once you are ready, the three virgin goddesses will help you battle Hades and Niobe. Niobe will be forever banished to the Underworld where no one can reach her, Tartarus. It is the darkest place of the Underworld and she will be left to wander soullessly for eternity. Zeus needs your help to defeat Hades into submission."

"That is a lot to take in…"

"I understand that this cannot be easy to hear, but you must understand the importance of this mission."

"And I understand! The steps that you mentioned…about my sister."

"Yes?"

"I found someone that looks exactly like me. I know it's her. Luna is Artemis."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven.

Luna stalked up the driveway to Cyrus' house later that night. His mom's car wasn't there so Luna continued to her destination. She stopped suddenly and glanced up. She saw the lights in Cyrus' room on and slightly turned her head to see a tree and a branch leaning towards his window. She climbed up it effortlessly. Her eyes scanned the room until she saw Cyrus. However, he wasn't alone. There was a dark-haired beauty in the room with him and it seemed that they were in deep conversation. Luna heard a hooting sound that sounded close, too close. She turned, the moonlight reflecting off of her translucent skin, and saw an owl next to her. It wasn't just any owl, it was the same owl that would perch itself outside her window. Luna smiled and instinctually petted the owl and held her arm out. The owl climbed up onto her shoulder and started rubbing its head on her neck. Luna engaged the owl in conversation, "I should give you a name, I see you all the time and I still don't know what to call you." For a moment, the owl and Luna made eye contact and there was unspoken communication. "Your name is Nisha?" The owl moved her head in what appeared to be a nodding motion. "That's a beautiful name, from now on I will call you Nisha or if you prefer a nickname, Ni-Ni." The owl hooted in response, slightly jumping in the process. "So Nisha, what do you think they are talking about?"

"Why did you change your appearance so you look like a girl my age?" Cyrus asked, confused. He suddenly felt tired and drained of energy.

"You must avoid the urge to look, but it seems that your sister is snooping from outside your window. Do not turn around, we don't want her to know that we know she is there," Calliope responded.

"Why not? We should let her in. How is she supposed to help me if she can't know what we are talking about?"

"She will help you once you are ready."

"How will I know when I'm ready?"

"Once you're done with your studies."

"What is the point of all of this studying?"

"See, Cyrus dear, you are impatient. That will lead to your downfall. In order to let Artemis help you, you must understand what is in store for you first. You will not truly understand until you read the story behind your journey. Now I want you to promise me that you will finish your studies before you explain this to your sister."

"I promise."

"Good. I know I can trust that you aren't lying to me because you are the god of truth, therefore it is impossible for you to lie."

"Why do I rule over so many things in life?"

"I would answer that question, but I think the answer will mean more if you discover that yourself. I must leave you, but under your pillow you will find a book of our history."

"Like the Odyssey and the Iliad?"

"My dear Cyrus, Homer exaggerated a few of those facts. Let me tell you, he was a bit of a bore. No one likes to hear about their history multiple times. After all, it's my history so I am familiar with it. "

"You met Homer?! But he was just a myth. There is no evidence proving his existence."

"Cyrus, he was very much real."

"Why doesn't anyone else know who he really is?"

"Because he doesn't really exist."

"But you just said you met him and that he was very real!"

"Sorry, I've been so used to this story. However, Homer was real, but not in the way you think. My mother, Mnemosyne, she was the goddess of memory and Hermes, he's a trickster. Mnemosyne contorted everyone's memories to make them believe Homer was real. As for Hermes, because he serves as the connection between Mt .Olympus and the human world, he allowed Mnemosyne to insert the false memories in each human's mind. We needed the humans to be aware of us."

"So you decided to trick everyone?"

"Yes, but we need them as they need us. For example, my mother Mnemosyne gains power from the formation of new memories. If that were to stop, she would be unbelievably weak and wouldn't be able to fulfill her duties as the goddess of memory."

"And what are those duties?"

"Maybe you can ask her that sometime. I plan for you to meet her after all this chaos is taken care of. Cyrus I must go. I will leave through your front door rather than flashing out of here since your sister is watching me. You must pretend that you don't see her and you mustn't take the book from underneath your pillow until she is gone."

"How will I know when she is gone?"

"You will feel slightly weakened around her. She draws power from the moon, being its equal. You draw power from the sun, to be around her is to have a solar eclipse. You will feel somewhat drained. That is why you feel the way you feel right now. If you should ever need anything, call my name." With that, Calliope left the room and proceeded downstairs. Cyrus heard the door close gently and the lock shift into place.

Luna watched Calliope as she exited the house. She jumped down from the tree and started to follow her. She was planning on asking who she was and how she knew Cyrus. Calliope walked into the dense network of forest with Luna following not too close behind. Suddenly, Calliope's form dissipated and Luna stopped in surprise. Her eyes narrowed, squinting through the darkness, searching for Calliope's form. Luna checked her phone and saw that it was getting late. She walked back the way she came and headed back to her house. On the way there she thought, _who was she? I can't ask Cyrus about her because he'll know that I was spying on him. Maybe I should wait until he introduces us. Although I hate waiting, the situation calls for patience._ Luna made her way to her house, walked in and closed the door in a huff.

Cyrus suddenly felt that he gained his energy back, however he still felt a bit of mental strain. Calliope hadn't explained that to him, she would probably tell him to read the book to understand his nature. He turned around and walked over to his window. He closed the blinds and searched for any sign of Luna. The only thing there was an owl and it was perched up on the branch, staring at him intently. He shivered at the owl's bluntness and proceeded to pull his drapes over the windows. He settled into his bed and pulled the book from under his pillow. He divided the book into sections and started to read the first section he marked.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight.

It had taken him a week to finish the book, but he completed the first step in Calliope's list of instructions. Cyrus had to tell Luna, Elysia and Raina that he had been busy all week, but it was because Calliope told him not to say anything to Luna until he had finished the history. They had been staring at him during his classes, wondering why he was constantly blowing them off. Although Calliope said that she would start appearing at his school, she remained distant. Cyrus was glad that she decided to stay away at school because it was just one more thing he would need to explain to his friends and Raina was not one for understanding. Cyrus knew that his sister was Luna, but there was only one way to find out. He would need to ask her, but in the most discreet way.

After school, Cyrus had asked Luna to come over to review the math homework together. She reluctantly agreed, but she was just happy that Cyrus was opening up to her again. They walked to his house in silence and remained as such until they reached his room. His parents were out at work again, so Cyrus decided now was a good time to explain to his sister what was happening, "Luna…"

"Oh geez, this can't be good. Whenever someone starts that way it never ends well," Luna frantically said.

"Luna, calm down. I just have to ask you some questions about the research we did last week you were at my house."

"Yes?"

"How are you at night time?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"I mean, can you sleep? Do you feel tired or strangely okay?"

"Oh, that. Well, yes I feel fine. I feel drained during the day, but at night, I just feel so alive. I don't know what it is, but the night is comforting to me."

"I was just asking because I feel the same way except during the day. Also, have you had any strange animals lurking around you?"

"Why? What are you saying?"

"I know."

"You know what? That you're acting weird?"

"I know you were outside my window the other night. Your owl was lurking outside my window and giving me the creepiest look."

"How did you know that? And her name is Nisha and you will give her the respect she deserves."

"I meant no disrespect to Nisha. I was only asking because I found something out that night."

"I knew it! That girl is involved too?"

"And just how did you know about the girl?" Cyrus' eyes narrowed and under his scrutiny, Luna blushed.

"I may have seen her when I was peeking through the window."

"We need to teach you the meaning of privacy. However, I'm not upset because I knew you would be able to see her as well."

"Did she tell you?"

"Yes, she did."

"Who is she, Cyrus?"

"Her name is Calliope and she is one of the Muses, the goddess of epic poetry."

"What? A freaking goddess? How do you know she isn't lying to you? She could make up the whole thing!"

"I know she isn't lying because she only confirmed my suspicion. We are related and you are my sister. I am Apollo, god of light and music. You are my sister, Artemis, goddess of the hunt. Our parents are Zeus and Leto. It is time you have accepted your true nature. I know that a part of you understands and recognizes this as the truth."

"Okay…where did Cyrus go? Is he still there? Because all I see is a stranger and I hear some eloquent, mature guy."

"Okay, I see you don't believe me. If you don't want to believe the facts that have been placed in front of you then I'll have to call Calliope here to prove it to you."

"Sure…"call" Calliope."

"Calliope, the god of light summons you. Come forth!" Luna rolled her eyes at the scene, refusing to believe everything is true. _Although everything adds up, that is no reason to assume I'm some Greek goddess. _Luna thought. Suddenly, there was a small breeze swirling through the air, creating a bell sound. Diamonds of light appeared in the chair by Cyrus' desk and immediately after, a woman appeared. Luna gasped. The woman smiled at Cyrus and he spoke first, "Luna, meet the goddess of epic poetry, Calliope. Calliope, this is Luna, the one I've been telling you about."

"Ah. This is the great Luna. Hello, Luna. I've been looking forward to meeting you. Well done, my love." _My love? What has Cyrus been doing all week?_ Luna thought, taken aback. Calliope gave her a knowing smile. "Cyrus and I share a history, but not in this life."

"What do you mean not in this life?"

"Cyrus, dear, I take it you called me here because she doesn't believe you?" Cyrus nodded. "How much have you told her?" Cyrus told her what transpired between the two prior to Calliope's appearance. "Very well then. I shall do the explaining." Calliope proceeded to tell her about Niobe's threat and their roles in all of this. After the explanation, Artemis sat down in a huff, shocked at what she had just heard. "Luna, it is time that you accepted your destiny and who you are. You already made a friend out of Nisha."

"How do you know about Nisha?" Luna instantly became defensive over her friend.

"Luna, I wish no ill will to her. I only want to defeat Niobe and put her spirit to rest as it should have been done."

"I'm sorry. I haven't been very respectful or understanding. I understand my destiny, but what do we do now?"

"You must do what Cyrus did initially."

"And what is that?"

"You must learn your history. It is necessary in order to find the two virgin goddesses, Athena and Hestia." Cyrus handed Luna the book as Calliope explained.

"This book will take forever to read!"

"It took me a week," Cyrus said softly.

" That's what you've been doing this whole time? Why you've been blowing me off?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry. It was necessary. Our safety depended on it. I already divided it into sections so if you stick to the schedule I had, you should be able to finish in no time."

"And if I say no?"

"Then you will cease to exist. Because Niobe placed you in mortal form, you will be vulnerable. You can only gain immortality if you find your bow and arrows and hunt down the chimera."

"Why is this so complicated?"

"Complicated situations can produce the best of outcomes. You need to regain your immortality in order to help Cyrus regain his. After you find out the virgin goddesses, they will need to regain their immortality as well."

"How do you know so much?"

"In his immortal life, Cyrus and I were lovers. He was the only man I have ever truly loved."

"As she is the only woman I have loved most ardently."

"Why do you look different than when I saw you the last time?"

"I changed my form to ease your curiosity. Seeing a grown woman in Cyrus' room is not considered appropriate."

"I see what you mean. And why are you talking funny, Cyrus?"

"His true self was awakened upon reading his history, however he needs his immortality to be returned to his true form."

"Is that why I must read the book? To regain my true self?"

"Yes. However it is of the utmost importance that you keep up appearances at the school. Do not talk about this with those friends, Elysia and Raina unless they are the virgin goddesses and you know for sure. I will be attending the school as well. I will take the original appearance you saw me in."

"She will be posing as my girlfriend," Cyrus smiled lovingly at Calliope.

"Ugh, you get a girlfriend and I get more homework. How is that fair?"

"Well, you are one of the three virgin goddesses, Artemis. What did you expect?"

"That's not what I meant. I wanted a cool power other than homework. I better get started. Something tells me that this is going to take a long time…"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine.

It had taken as long as Cyrus had said. Luna finished the book in the same amount of time as Cyrus had. Elysia and Raina had been watching her all week, wondering why she had been rushing home immediately after school. She was glad she finished the reading because it was a matter of time before Elysia and Raina found out the whole truth. She texted Cyrus and let him know that she finished the history of her people.

Calliope had made it clear that Niobe needed to be defeated. After learning about the journey she and Cyrus would have to make, she didn't know how she could keep it from Raina and Elysia. Now that her true self had awakened, she would have a more effective way of finding Hestia and Athena.

Calliope had started showing up at school, posing as Cyrus' girlfriend as she said she would. She adopted the name Lianna in hopes of blending in. All of the football players tried to avert her attention to them by trying to get her to go to their practices and games. However, Calliope only had eyes for Cyrus as he did her. This didn't stop their advances and although they would call her name in the hallway, they maintained their eye contact and would remain blind to their surroundings. Luna didn't understand the concept of love. She had kissed a guy before, but it remained an infatuation and never progressed into something serious. Her friends were the same. This thought made Luna stop walking to her class. She ran through the characteristics of her friends to that of the virgin goddesses. She noticed startling similarities and noted that she would go over this with Cyrus and Calliope later. For now, she proceeded to walk into her history class.

After school, Luna had to make up an excuse to Elysia and Raina. They turned away in disappointment and confusion. As they got closer to the car Elysia spoke up first, "Why do you think Luna is avoiding us? Have we done something wrong? Is she mad at us?"

"I don't think so. Nothing I can remember. Cyrus was like this two weeks ago and now he is talking to us and he has a smoking hot girlfriend. I mean what's up with that?" Raina responded as she opened the car door and slid into the seat.

"I know. You'd think they'd tell us what's up. I mean we are their friends. And what is the deal with his girlfriend, Lianna? They act as though they have been together for years. I mean I can't take it with the goo-goo eyes."

"I say we find out tomorrow what is going on. I don't like being kept in the dark like this. You with me?"

"Yeah, I'm in." A moment of silence went by as Elysia started the car up and pulled out of the parking lot of the school. "So do you think Luna will show up with a new boyfriend tomorrow?"

"Nah, Luna finds guys attractive, but she never acts on it. However, she has been acting out of character so if she showed up with a hot guy, something is wrong with the world."

"What was I thinking? Luna doesn't date. That would be very strange." They drove the rest of the way contemplating what would happen tomorrow.

Calliope, Cyrus and Luna sat in Cyrus' room. Luna told them what she was thinking and Calliope smiled. "It seems that you have finally unlocked your true self."

"Yes, it's kind of odd though. Having information I have gained from this world and information from my role as Artemis. It is like having two people inside my mind," Luna replied.

"It can seem like that, but in reality, your immortal self helped to shape your personality as a mortal. Although Niobe wanted to trap you, she wanted to be able to distinguish you between the regular mortals. Now that you have knowledge of your true self, you will need to earn your immortality back in order to prevent yourself from being killed by Atropos. She and the other Moirai work with Hades and Hades is interested in starting a war amongst other gods."

"Why does he want war? He must know it will end badly for him."

"You must understand. He is the god of the Underworld. He needs death in order to sustain himself. It makes him powerful and dominant in his world. Without it, the spirits would go running amok and the natural order of things in the Underworld would be chaotic. Another thing is that he doesn't like Zeus. He doesn't like being shut away under the earth while Zeus gets worshipped in the skies. A war would mean more death, which would ultimately provide him the power needed to overtake Mt. Olympus and overthrow Zeus. So in actually, it isn't Niobe you should defeat, but Hades. Without Niobe, he has no reason to go forward with this crazy plan of his."

"What can we do?"

"Unity is everything, Luna. It is not the strength of the person that determines who wins, but the effort a person puts in. Remember this if you are to defeat Hades. Now, onto the matter of the virgin goddesses. You must use your knowledge to help you find them. Hestia is the goddess of hearth and architecture. You must find one with a warm personality and a love of creating new things. If absolutely necessary, you must provide a test of some sorts to prove that they are who you believe to be. Athena is the goddess of wisdom and law and justice. You must find someone befitting to this. If you believe that these girls are really the virgin goddesses, you must do something to bring out their natures."

"How do I do that?"

"If you have the one believed to be Athena, then she should get along just fine with Nisha. I believe that Nisha plays a significant role in bringing out your true self. For Hestia, cows are sacred to her. So if you gave her a, what do you mortals call it…"

"A hamburger, my sweet?" Cyrus jumped in to help her.

"Yes! A hamburger. She would not eat it as she would consider it to be an insult. Thank you, my love." Calliope looked lovingly into his eyes and caressed his cheek.

"So you want me to give her a hamburger. I don't know about you, but people don't just walk up to others handing them hamburgers."

"You could also offer milk. Anything that is a product of a cow, Hestia will know because she will be immediately repulsed by it. It is not controllable nor is it conscious. Hestia lies dormant within her and something such as this will coax her out enough for her to understand."

"I feel like I'm trying to lure a cat."

"No, dear. It isn't the same. A cat would check its surroundings before trying the cream. Hestia reacts immediately, paying no attention to what or who is around her. Besides, Hestia isn't overly rambunctious when it comes to felines. So I wouldn't bring that up if I were you."

"Okay, so I should monitor the actions of these girls before testing them?"

"If you believe that is right. However, it is of the utmost importance that you do not draw attention to us. I feel that Niobe is distracted right now and if she were to check you right now, she would have Atropos end you. If she finds out what you are planning to do, there will be no quest."

"I understand. I shall begin tonight. I shall see you tomorrow, dearest brother. Goodnight Calliope, goodnight Cyrus."

"Goodnight Luna," They both replied simultaneously. After they heard the door shut, Calliope threw herself into Cyrus' arms. She leaned into chest, her ear close to his heart, hearing the constant thrumming. She snuggled closer into his arms and sighed in contentment.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten.

Luna invited Elysia and Raina to her house to go over the biology homework. Elysia and Raina were happy that Luna was finally talking to them and hanging out with them again. They decided that they would confront Luna about her odd behavior today when they were alone. Luna prepared glasses of milk and chocolate chip cookies. She also called for Nisha and she landed on the windowsill. Nisha tilted her head as if to ask why she was there. Luna spoke, "It's good to see you again Nisha. Sorry if I woke you up. I need you here because we need to find out who the other two virgin goddesses are. Apparently Athena is a fan of owls. So I thought you should meet my friends. And Hestia is apparently repulsed by anything that has to do with cows. Would you like to meet Raina and Elysia?" Nisha bowed her head in agreement and hopped onto Luna's shoulder. Luna chuckled to herself and headed upstairs with the milk and cookies and Nisha on her shoulder.

Elysia and Raina were spread out in Luna's room, their heads ducked in their textbooks. They didn't notice the owl that was currently perched on Luna's shoulder, so the surprise was greater than expected. When Luna set down the plate, it made a slight sound and at that moment, her friends looked up at her. Confusion was etched into their face, but was quickly replaced by astonishment. "Uh, Luna. What's with the owl? Feeling like Harry Potter today?" Raina asked.

"Not only that, what is with the milk and cookies? You never give us snacks when we come over. You tell us that we need to control our mooching when we come over," Elysia spoke next.

"Guys, this is my friend, Nisha. She visits me often. And as for the snacks, I thought you guys would like some. I already had a tray ready to cook and I had my mom put it in before she left to go out with my dad. I was in the mood for cookies, but hey if you want me to hog all the cookies, I'll happily do so." Although that last part was a lie, her friends seemed to be convinced by her explanation.

"So, how did you two meet?"

"Nisha has been sleeping by my window lately and one night I decided to confront her about it. She turned out to be nice and a great friend."

"Weren't you afraid you'd get rabies, Luna?"

"Nah. She always gave me a look as if she understood everything I did and said."

"Can we meet her?" At this question, Nisha hopped off Luna's shoulder and made her way to Raina. Nisha hopped onto Raina's shoulder and starting nuzzling her cheek. A hoot of contentment came out of Nisha. Raina smiled, happy to receive Nisha's acceptance so soon. Nisha remained on Raina's shoulder and soon enough, she fell asleep. "I guess she likes me," Raina said after a few moments of silence went by. She never took her eyes off of Nisha and they remained on Nisha's sleeping body.

"Maybe we should start studying. We wouldn't want my parents to come home and see us just sitting here being unproductive."

"Yeah, you're right. But first I want one of those cookies." Raina reached for a cookie and a glass of milk and dipped the cookie in the white liquid. Luna mimicked Raina's actions. Elysia watched the two drink their milk eagerly. "What's the matter, Elysia? Don't you want some? They are good…" Elysia grabbed a cookie and enjoyed its flavor. She left the remaining glass of milk on the tray. Luna took note of that and she knew she would have another long conversation with Cyrus and Calliope. Luna decided to find out more information so she asked Elysia,

"Don't you want your milk? It tastes even better with milk." Elysia cringed at the mention of milk and Luna's eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"I don't really like milk." Luna didn't push the matter further and they proceeded to study.

That night after Elysia and Raina left, Calliope appeared with Cyrus by her side. They were in a heated discussion about their next moves. Nisha watched intently from the new owl house Luna had bought for her. "But you don't know if Raina is truly Athena! You only noticed that Nisha and Raina got along! There is no way to extrapolate from that information that she is one of the virgin goddesses. Nisha is a friendly owl and so I feel as though she could bewitch anyone and they would become her friend instantly."

"My love, you must calm down. Give Luna a chance to explain herself. You mustn't get so worked over this matter."

"You're right. I'm sorry, sister. Please go on."

"As I was saying, I think that Elysia is Hestia. When I offered her a glass of milk, she cringed as if I was offering her goat's blood. I didn't push the matter further because I knew she was uncomfortable with the situation."

"I do believe that Elysia is Hestia. She has some power within her that is waiting to be released. We must act quickly. Tomorrow, you are to invite Elysia over and explain to her the situation and what she must do. When I am needed, summon me. I will bring Cyrus with me as well. I will try to work on Raina. I will befriend her and become one of her closest friends; we have similar interests so it shouldn't be hard. For now, Elysia is your top priority, do not share any information with Raina as we need confirmation that she is really Athena. Do you understand these instructions?"

"Yes, Calliope. Tomorrow I shall talk with Elysia."

"Very good. Now, we must go. Cyrus' parents will be home soon and he needs to make it look like he has been home this whole time. Remember the objective, Luna." With that, Calliope and Cyrus dissipated before her eyes and she was left alone with Nisha. She curled up in bed, said goodnight to Nisha and fell into a dreamless sleep with Nisha watching her closely.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven.

The next day after school, Luna asked Elysia to come over and hang out. Raina declined as she was spending some time with Lianna, per her agreement with Luna the previous night. Calliope had given her the perfect opportunity to explain things to Elysia. When they arrived at Luna's house, her parents weren't home so they remained downstairs. Luna assumed that Nisha would be sleeping as it was still daytime, so she didn't want to wake her up.

"Elysia, I need to tell you some things. It is absolutely essential that you remain open-minded, do not interrupt while I am explaining and wait until I am finished to ask questions. You must promise not to reveal this information to anyone else that isn't me, Cyrus or Lianna."

"What is it Luna? You're keeping me in suspense over here. And I promise that I will not divulge any information you speak to me, including Raina."

"Firstly, I am not who I appear to be. Neither is Cyrus. Neither is Lianna and neither are you." Luna waited for a reaction, but Elysia maintained her composure. Luna continued, "I am Artemis, goddess of the hunt and the animals. Cyrus is my twin brother, Apollo, god of light, music, healing. Lianna is really Calliope, the Muse of epic poetry. She changed her appearance to avoid any suspicion. You are Hestia, the goddess of architecture and hearth. It is important that you help us because we must face an enemy. Her name is Niobe and she seeks her revenge against me and my brother. In our immortal lives, we killed her children after she blatantly disrespected our mother, Leto. Her body is no more, but her spirit still lingers. Hades sensed the evil and the vengeance in her spirit and allowed her to remain on our side of the world, never to cross into the afterlife. Calliope has been acting as our guide. You and I are of the three virgin goddesses to help Cyrus gain his immortality back and restore his body to his true appearance. His true self has been released upon reading the history of the gods." Luna went to retrieve the book and brought it back. "This book has also helped me regain my true self. The Luna you know no longer exists. It was just a way for Niobe to monitor my actions. You must read this book to regain your true self as well. Cyrus was kind enough to divide it into sections so you can read a section every day. Do you have any questions?"

"Wait, so if Lianna is really Calliope and Cyrus is Apollo, did they date in their immortal lives?"

"Of all the things, that is what you wish to know?"

"Er…no."

"They were lovers in their immortal lives. They are each other's greatest love."

"And why are we mortal now?"

"Niobe did so to prevent us from remembering out immortal lives. We were implanted with false memories, so there is a good chance that our parents in this life are not our true parents."

The question and answer session continued until Elysia was satisfied with the information. "Now, it is a requirement that you read this book. Do not bring it to school. It does not belong in the hands of mortals. If they got ahold of this book, the results could be catastrophic. Also, do not call Lianna, Cyrus or me by our true names. We need to maintain appearances in case Niobe is watching." Suddenly, Calliope appeared before their eyes with Cyrus beside her, their fingers intertwined. Elysia did not flinch or show any hint of surprise. Luna was impressed with her reaction and how easily she accepted the information she just received.

"You must be Calliope. And Cy—er Apollo." Cyrus smiled and said,

"Cyrus is just fine."

"You have just received vital information. Do you accept your responsibilities?" Calliope asked.

"I do."

"Then, take this book and study the history. You will regain your true self, but like Cyrus and Luna, you must find a way to regain your true body and appearance. If you ever need me, just summon me by calling my name, but you must do so in a secluded place and when you are alone. We cannot afford any carelessness. Once you have regained your true self, you will assist us in finding the last virgin goddess, Athena." Elysia nodded and took the book. She started the car up and drove away. Once alone, Calliope initiated a conversation about Raina, "As for the third virgin goddess, Raina could be Athena, but we cannot afford to go off of assumptions. I will pursue it further. For now, monitor Elysia and see if her true self is awakened tomorrow. Once that is done, she must search through her thoughts to find out how to unlock her immortality. I do not have that information. I only have yours and Cyrus' because of my closeness with the both of you."

"Okay, I will check on Elysia and try to find out what the key is to her immortality."

"Cyrus can help you as well."

"I wouldn't change a thing," Cyrus finally spoke up.

"Then that is settled. Cyrus and you will assist Elysia and I will find out what is needed about Raina. If there are others, we must consider that someone else is Athena. We will reconvene tomorrow and Luna you will bring Elysia."

"It will be done. Until tomorrow."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve.

Luna and Elysia showed up at school together without Raina because she had said she was catching a ride with Lianna and Cyrus. A budding friendship was starting to grow between the two, however without Raina's knowledge, Lianna was really Calliope and she had a mission. To find the final virgin goddess, Athena.

Elysia and Luna walked side by side to their history class, talking about tonight's meeting with Lianna and Cyrus. Luna was exuberant over finding the second virgin goddess, but was more enthusiastic over the fact that it was one of her best friends. They never kept secrets from each other so it was a relief that Luna was able to share this knowledge with her friend. However, she still felt bad about lying to Raina. Although the hidden goddess within her didn't understand her guilt. Luna looked at Elysia who was deep in conversation; she was once again filled with a sense of guilt for her inner-monologue while her friend was talking. They proceeded to their class in dread only wanting to defeat the evil that was Niobe.

Luna and Elysia drove back to Luna's house and waited for Cyrus and Calliope's arrival. Much to their pleasure, Elysia had regained her true self and returned the book to Calliope. It disappeared with a shimmer at Calliope's fingertips. Elysia's eyes widened with enthusiasm and asked, "Will I be able to do that?"

Calliope threw her head back in a laugh, looking beautiful as her brown hair swirled in the air. "Well, at least we distinguish when her mortal self and immortal self is talking. But, yes you will be able to do this and so much more. You have unlocked your true immortal self. In doing so, you have accepted your role and duty as the goddess of hearth and architecture, Hestia. You are now ready for the next step."

"My immortality." It wasn't a question, but an answer to Calliope's unspoken question.

"Yes. Have you discovered how to unlock it? Only you have that information as you are not one of the big 12 anymore because you gave your throne on Olympus up for Dionysus."

"I understand and I do not regret my decision. Dionysus belongs on Olympus no matter the amount of our importance."

"You are important, Hestia. Your followers still view you as a part of the big 12."

"Thank you, I appreciate the comfort you are trying to offer me, but it is essential that we defeat Niobe and send her to the depths of Tartarus. I must create a weapon that will expel Niobe from this world and send her to Tartarus where she will never be able to escape. Although this is not part of my mission of immortality, I suspect that there will be good enough reason to concoct a concentrated potion from the River of Lethe to make Hades forget about Niobe and his conquest for war."

"Very good. You all will need to go to gain your immortality before battling Niobe. Elysia, I will send you to Hephaestus to form the weapon. You will regain your immortality by coming into contact with one of your attributes. Once your immortality is regained, the existence of Elysia will cease. However, while you still exist as Elysia, we must ask one of the gods to keep up appearances. Do you agree to these arrangements?"

"I do."

"Very well, you will be sent to Hephaestus who is fully informed of the situation. He will be your guide. Upon regaining your immortality, you must send see Hecate. She can help you create the potion that is required. You must make one for Niobe as well because if Hades were to find deception among our ranks, the results would be catastrophic. We shall meet again." With a wave of her hand, Elysia disappeared.

"But Calliope, who will be Elysia while she is gone? Won't Niobe be able to sense that it isn't really Elysia?"

"Not if you call one of the big 12 to help."

"And who do you intend to call?"

"Did someone summon me here?" A soft voice asked. Everyone spun around and saw a beautiful blond haired woman standing before them. Her blue eyes bored into them waiting for a response. She moved forward with grace Artemis didn't even know existed.

"Luna, Cyrus, this is Aphrodite. You know her, the goddess of love."

"And beauty. You must be the mortal forms of Artemis and Apollo." Aphrodite made her way to Cyrus and purred seductively. "You were always the attractive one, Apollo." Luna hissed in contempt and frustration.

"Aphrodite dear, if you don't get away from Cyrus, I will have Hecate cast a spell and prevent you from seducing any more men."

"I apologize, Calliope. I wasn't aware of your relationship with the god of light."

"You are aware, you just refuse to listen. Let this be the only warning I give you."

"My apologies, once again. I will try to contain myself."

"You forgot someone," Luna interjected herself into the conversation.

"And why should I apologize to you?"

"For being a royal, egotistical whore."

"And being a virgin is better, Artemis? If you took a lover, you would be so much happier and pleasant."

"How many lovers does it take to make you happy, Aphrodite? A million? I wouldn't be surprised if you contracted every sexually transmitted disease while in your mortal form."

"Why you little—"

"Okay, let's break it up now. There is no need to fight with each other. We each want the same thing and that is to defeat Niobe. We won't be able to do so if we continue to fight." Cyrus stepped in-between the two, putting some distance between them. He used his telepathic bond with his sister and spoke to her, _Sister; you must not let her get to you. You may have different views, but that shouldn't let us stop from reaching our goal. _Luna huffed in anger and started to walk away. _And you're much prettier than her._ Luna turned and smiled in appreciated at her brother. She walked up to her room to visit Nisha and calm down. Cyrus turned to Aphrodite next, "And you. You may be a goddess and I trapped in this mortal form, but that is not reason to goad Artemis. If you say anything disrespectful or out of the norm, you will have to answer to me."

"I am sorry, Apollo."

"And another thing…" Cyrus gathered Calliope in his arms and pulled her in for a deep kiss. She understood his actions and as he was labeling her as his and he as hers. Cyrus reluctantly broke the kiss and continued speaking, "I love Calliope and have only eyes for her. Your seduction does not work so you can stop that incessant purring." Aphrodite's shoulders drooped in disappointment and shame. No one turned down Aphrodite and here was Apollo, the god of light, in mortal form, rejecting her. She pushed the feelings aside as she had a job to do.

"I understand, Apollo. Now who am I posing as?"

"Elysia, she is with your husband working to gain her immortality and assume the role of Hestia."

"May I see a picture so that I can capture her appearance accurately?" Calliope waved her hand and a holographic image of Elysia popped in front of Aphrodite's face. Aphrodite closed her eyes and concentrated. Her body transformed into Elysia They watched as her blond hair transformed into auburn tresses and her eyes changing into a soft brown. Upon a close inspection, one would be able to see a slight blue in her eyes. "Do you think this will work?"

"Precisely executed. Now, Cyrus will fill you in with background information for Elysia's life. I shall discuss some things with Luna." Calliope headed upstairs to talk to Luna while Cyrus started to explain. "Luna. I have a question for you."

"Oh, yes Calliope?"

"Does Raina take any swimming courses? Or does anything that would bring her to the beach?"

"Yes, she is in a PE class. They are supposed to do swimming in a couple of days. Why?"

"All will reveal itself in a matter of time. And Luna? You mustn't ask questions to which you know the answers to. Search your thoughts and you will understand why." Calliope left the room. Luna sat up suddenly and smiled in understanding.

Calliope came in at the end of Cyrus' explanation and kissed him on the cheek in thanks. He leaned into the kiss and stroked her cheek lovingly. Calliope's eyes twinkled with love and then faced Aphrodite, who was watching them intently. "Do you need any more information, Aphrodite? Or should I say Elysia?"

"I think that will suffice. I shall see you tomorrow."

"Don't forget that you carpool with Luna in the mornings!" Cyrus added. Aphrodite huffed in disgust and flashed out of the room.

"Do you think we will have to worry about them tomorrow?"

"I think they will be just fine. We should leave now and give Luna some time with her owl, Nisha."

"I think you are right in that decision, love." _Sister we are leaving. We shall see you tomorrow at school._

_Goodbye brother. Tell Calliope I said goodbye and tell her I figured it out._

"She says goodbye and that she figured it out. What did she figure out?"

"It is nothing, my love. Just a talk amongst girls." Calliope smiled upon Luna's discovery.

The next day, Luna and Aphrodite showed up at school. Although they looked happy, Cyrus and Calliope could see that they were waiting for a moment when no one was looking so they could kill each other. Calliope told Cyrus that she needed to go to the office and fix something in her schedule. She gave him a quick peck on the check and rushed effortlessly to the office.

Suddenly, the basketball and football teams swarmed "Elysia". She smiled at the new company she was in and proceeded to flirt with the boys. Luna's temper almost boiled over, but luckily Cyrus swooped in and ushered them both to class. Luna glared at Aphrodite's bluntness with the boys, but quickly forgot it just as the anger came when biology started.

Calliope made it to the office and requested for a schedule change, "Hello. I would like to transfer into 7th period PE with Mr. Nichols."

"Are you sure, Lianna? They have to do a swimming unit tomorrow and you would have to rush to get the permission slip signed."

"No worries. I'm sure I can manage."

"Alright, if this is what you really want." The secretary put the changes into the system then handed her a permission slip. "Have the teachers from the classes you're missing sign the form. If you are 18 then you can sign the form, otherwise have your parents sign it. You must turn it in to Mr. Nichols tomorrow at the beginning of class. And here is an excused slip as you are late to class. Now hurry along."

"Thank you." Calliope rushed to biology and took her seat next to Cyrus. Her mind on tomorrow's PE class and what she would uncover.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Calliope had done what the secretary asked her to do. She told Cyrus, Luna and Aphrodite that she had a field trip today. She said her goodbyes and headed over to the school bus. "Since when is she in PE?" Luna asked, confused. Calliope walked up to Raina and tapped her shoulder. "Hey! Since when are you in PE?"

"Since now. I heard you guys were going to the beach and I wanted to miss some classes."

"Math test?"

"Something like that, haha."

"Well I'm glad you're here because we have some swimming exam and I am freaking out about it. Nichols wants us to get some good times out there."

"I'm sure we will do fine." Calliope reassured Raina and they turned to get on the bus. On the way in, Calliope introduced herself to the PE teacher and handed him the permission slip. He took it and told her to take a seat on the bus.

They made it to the beach in half an hour. The teacher instructed them to change and warm up and that testing would begin in twenty minutes. Raina and Calliope changed and signed up to do the test first. They started to warm up and Mr. Nichols called for Calliope. She swam with such grace and speed that it left the other students and the teacher shocked. The teacher marked her down for an A and called Raina next who was still recovering from what she just saw. "Kill it, Raina. I know you can do it," Calliope encouraged as she walked past her.

"Thanks, Lianna." Raina responded and headed over to the testing section. Calliope watched Raina intently with a towel around her shoulders. Raina moved with such speed and strength that it looked just as graceful as Calliope's swimming. The students and teacher were stunned once again. The teacher gave her excellent marks and told Raina that she and Lianna could relax and do whatever since they were the first students to go and complete it with high marks. Mr. Nichols shook his head in astonishment and turned his attention to the next tester. Raina made her way to Calliope and was shocked at the outcome of her test. "Okay so Nichols told us we could do whatever we want and I want to take a nap to recover from what just happened."

"You're an excellent swimmer. It's no surprise; I knew you could do it."

"Thanks, let's just soak up some sun." Calliope nodded her head in agreement and spread her towel out and laid down on it. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh of contentment. She had her headphones in her ears and Raina could clearly hear the Beyoncé songs. Raina smiled at Calliope's sudden demeanor. As Raina was setting up her towel she saw something in the water, away from the testing group. She put her towel down and went in the water. She saw a ripple in the water further away and swam towards it. As Raina got closer, she noticed a shimmer in the water followed by a tail. It looked so strange to Raina that grabbed it when she got closer to it. A young man popped up from under the water, gaping at Raina. His stormy blue eyes were boring into hers, confusion etched into his features. Raina's jaw dropped and the shock was instantly replaced by an inexplicable fury. She lunged at him and started to kick and scratch him. He was confused; wondering why this human was attacking him. He did not wish to harm her because he didn't want Hermes to bring his wrath upon his kingdom. He tried to restrain her, but with little luck.

Meanwhile, Calliope looked up and saw that Raina was gone. She looked around until she saw the encounter between Raina and the mysterious man. She hurries over, trying to not to attract any attention. She ran into the water and used her goddess speed to swim over to the two. Calliope gets a closer look at the man and recognized him immediately. She pulled Raina off of him and tried to calm her down. It took quite some time, but Raina eventually regained control over her anger. This conflict between the two proved that Raina was indeed Athena, however the circumstances was not necessarily positive. Finding this out, Calliope explained to the man what happened and who Raina truly is. His eyes widened in surprise and relief, "I have been looking all over for you, Athena."

"Uh, my name is Raina. Who the hell is Athena?"

"Calliope, can you please help?"

"Calliope? She's Lianna."

"If I assist, she will regain her prior memories, but will be weakened due to the forced images in her mind."

"Please, she needs to hear this. I need her to understand."

"Very well." Calliope touched Raina's forehead and a light appeared under her fingertips. Raina's eyes closed as a swarm of images raided her mind. She almost collapsed due to the overload of information. The young man caught her before she fell over. Raina stood up and moved away from the man. She opened her eyes and glanced at Calliope then at the man.

"Calliope, thank you for awakening me. Why have you awakened me?"

"I think you can see why. More will be explained later. There is something you need to hear first."

"Athena. Do you know who I am?" The man swam closer to Athena.

"Poseidon," Athena hissed. "Where's your lover, Medusa? Last I checked you were both disrespecting my sacred temple."

"I know, but I must explain."

"Then explain, however do not expect forgiveness."

"I was bewitched by Medusa. However, she was not acting alone. Medusa seduced Eos, Aphrodite's son, and she convinced him to put me under her spell. My actions were not my own. I should have been stronger; I am not making an excuse. I just wanted to supply an explanation. It is your decision to forgive me or remain angry. I have been searching for you all this time to apologize to you. I apologize for what happened between Medusa and I and our argument over who should have Athens. It is rightfully yours and for that I am happy."

"I appreciate your apology. I forgive you for what happened with Medusa, but it will take longer to forgive you for what happened with Athens."

"I will not stop until I gain your full forgiveness." Raina nodded in acknowledgement. "Now, I think Athena deserves the next explanation, Calliope." Calliope nodded and explained to Raina the full extent of the situation. Raina became upset over her imprisonment. Poseidon became furious over his brother's actions. After the explanation, Poseidon spoke up, "I assure you, Athena. I had no idea that Hades trapped you in this mortal body with the help of this so-called Niobe. She was a mere mortal. There is no way she was capable of that kind of power. Hades cannot do that either, he can only provide a connection to the above world. There is another immortal at work here. I will do everything I can to protect you. It is the least I can do."

"I need no protection, Poseidon. I am the goddess of war. I can protect myself."

"I have no doubt about that, but it would make me feel better if I helped out."

"Very well. But do not fight my battles."

"Thank you, great Athena."

"Just how do you intend to watch me?"

"You shall find out. I'll see you tomorrow." Poseidon gave a wink and disappeared under the water. Calliope witnessed the conversation between the two and noted the fondness that Poseidon felt for Athena. Calliope held a knowing smile, wondering what would possibly transpire between the two. Athena stared at the water, wondering what he meant when he said he'd see her tomorrow.

"Athena. I have sent the book to your house. You must read it to find out how to unlock your immortality."

"I cannot take it in this mortal body."

"I understand, but you cannot draw any attention to yourself. It would jeopardize the mission and the world as we know it. Just please read the book. It shouldn't take you too long. You're Athena."

"Can I just read it now?"

"If that is what you wish." Calliope summoned the book and gave it to Raina. Raina flipped through it and her eyes moved rapidly back and forth. The pages creating a gust of wind as she quickly flipped through the pages. She finished in 30 seconds and handed it back to Calliope. "You never cease to amaze me, Athena. Now, have you learned how to earn your immortality back?"

"I must train with Ares."

"Very good. I think once Hestia returns, you and Artemis should go train with Ares. You will regain your immortality and Artemis needs the training if she is to defeat the chimera and regain her own immortality."

"I agree to these arrangements."

"We must have a conference with Apollo, Artemis, Aphrodite and we can have Hephaestus turn on his communication device so that Ares and Hestia are listening."

"Very well. We must be wary from the future; I sense that there is discontent rising." And Athena was right. There was discontent rising and she thought she sensed another immortal observing them. She brushed it off as a mortal miscalculation. Athena and Calliope headed to the change rooms and were back on the bus to school in no time.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

That night at Luna's house, Cyrus, Luna, Calliope, Aphrodite and Raina had a conference about what their next steps were. Luna was once again overjoyed that her other best friend was the last of the virgin goddesses. Calliope waved her hand and holographic forms of Hephaestus, Elysia, Ares and even Poseidon filled the room. Luna and Raina were happy to see their true friend, not the look alike that was Aphrodite. Luna asked, "When are you coming home, Elysia? I am in need of the original Elysia." She glared at Aphrodite as she said that, still infuriated over her actions and beliefs.

Hephaestus answered for Elysia, "She is doing well. She gains more power each day. However, the weapon is not yet complete and with that her immortality. But, she works quickly with such nimble hands that I feel that she should be finished by the end of tomorrow."

"Can you ensure that, Hephaestus?" Calliope asked.

"Yes, I can."

"Very good. Now that we have the three virgin goddesses with their true selves unlocked, we must hurry." Calliope turned her attention to Ares, "Ares, how much information about this mission do you contain?"

"Enough to know that Artemis and Athena need to be trained," he replied.

"I see Hephaestus has been keeping you updated. I appreciate your help." Hephaestus nodded his head in respectful acknowledgement. Raina glanced at Poseidon who held an intense longing in his eyes. She assumed the longing was for forgiveness and nothing more. Luna noticed the look in Poseidon's eyes, but didn't say anything. She looked to her left and noticed Calliope also watching. They locked eyes and smiled as if they were in on some secret.

"And why is Poseidon here?" Aphrodite asked.

"You have no right to that information. You and your family have done enough."

"What my son did does not label me the same."

"You are both the same. Seductive, sneaky whores."

"You couldn't have said it better, Poseidon. _She _has been whoring around while she is Elysia and I refuse to accept this. She was trying to seduce my own brother and steal him away from Calliope."

"Artemis, she has agreed to stop coming between me and Calliope. If anyone must feel shame for her actions, she shall feel it herself," Apollo commented. He reached for Calliope and their fingers were intertwined.

"Artemis, I do not care if she is whoring around as me. Once Hestia, the Elysia everyone knows will cease to exist. The embarrassment does not bother me, but I thank you for your kind friendship and loyalty, old friend," Elysia said next. Luna looked at her with respect and nodded in submission, leaving the argument.

"Poseidon, are you sure you are truly upset over being with Medusa? Or are you really upset that the girl you have affections for is upset at your actions?" Ares interjected. Raina's eyes widened at these questions Ares brought up.

"It is not your place to try to justify my feelings. You are busy whoring around with her under Hephaestus' nose." Everyone looked at Hephaestus who only shrugged.

"I have known this ever since it begun. Eos is an example of my wife's infidelity. However, we have more important matters. We must defeat Niobe and Hades. As much as it annoys me to say this, I do not care about my wife's infidelity. I serve as preventer of war among the gods who wish to have Aphrodite's affections. Can we please continue or must we remain on this subject?"

"Hephaestus is right. Time is of the essence. We must work together in order to defeat them. Elysia, you will need to be sent back after completing the weapon. I will contact Hecate to make the potion on her own. Poseidon believes that there is another immortal working here so we must speed up the process. Ares, prepare your lessons to help Artemis and Athena. While they are gone and once Elysia has reclaimed her title, as Hestia she will pose as Artemis. Seeing as Aphrodite and Artemis do not get along, Aphrodite will have to pose as Athena."

"I suppose that will have to suffice," Raina said.

"I will go with her as per our agreement," Poseidon replied. Raina acquiesced to this and said nothing further.

"Is everyone in agreement and knows of the plan?" A resounding yes filled the room. Once again, Raina felt a dark presence, but brushed it off. She thought it was fatigue that made her feel things that weren't there. Goodbyes were said and one by one each holographic version disappeared until Poseidon was the only one left. He mouthed tomorrow and he disappeared with the rest of them.

"So, what's up with the new beau, Raina?" Luna asked teasingly.

"He's not my beau. And I don't care," Raina replied and stomped off. Calliope, Luna, and Cyrus chuckled at her noticeable outrage. Aphrodite huffed and disappeared, clearly irritated with what comments were directed at her during the argument. Calliope and Cyrus said their goodbyes and left. Raina was staying the night at Luna's house so they went to bed early. Although Luna couldn't see it, she could feel anticipation and excitement bubbling over in Raina. She smiled into her pillow and fell fast asleep with Nisha watching over her.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen.

The next day, Calliope skipped school to arrange a meeting with Hecate. She waited outside of the witches' coven house for Hecate. It was important that Hades would forget this entire plan and encounter that was formed with the help of Niobe. Even if Niobe was defeated, Hades would continue with his conquest. Because everyone is just a pawn in his game. He always wants the same thing, Zeus' throne. Life can suck when you are sometimes left out of the Big 12. Calliope understood Hades' jealousy and outrage as she was not in the Big 12, but like those gods, they each play a significant role in the life of mortals. Calliope was wondering what set off Hades to influence this new conquest. She paced around the yard, deep in thought. She didn't even hear one of the witches call her in. It was a tap on her shoulder that made her slightly flinch. The person also flinched, afraid that she would be punished for interrupting whatever kept her occupied. Calliope straightened up and looked at the person, taking in her appearance. She had long silvery hair and purple eyes, dominant features in witch covens. She didn't realize that she was staring until the girl blushed under her scrutiny. Calliope was the first to speak, "It is alright. I was just thinking. Thank you for coming out here and letting me know. Is there anything Hecate needs from me before I ask for a favor?"

"She says that she would like Apollo to come over some time to play his lyre. She knows that he is musically talented and wishes to hear it firsthand," the young witch replied.

"Very well, but no strings attached. Are we clear?"

"Hecate would never take advantage of anyone. There is no need to worry." Calliope quietly snickered, knowing the lies behind those words. She followed the young witch inside the house. "You understand Calliope that she has taken a husband and she would do nothing to jeopardize their union?"

"And you understand young witch, that Aphrodite is also married and to Hephaestus, but continues her flirtations and affairs. All of which would jeopardize their union and Hephaestus has told me of many others that he does not care. He is well aware of this and has no intention to stop it." The witch remained silent, knowing her place. It was frowned upon for someone such as her to disrespect Hecate's guest in her house. They continued walking until they reached a room. The witch uttered something in Latin and a secret passage opened, revealing a hidden staircase. They descended down the stairs and reached another wall. The witch uttered something in Hellenic and placed her palm on the wall, revealing a room with Hecate's back facing them. The witch bowed and said, "Calliope, mistress." She backed out of the room and the wall moved back into place after she left. Hecate turned around and said, "It can be a hassle coming here because of the various spells placed here. But we have to be prepared if a wandering mortal made their way through the first door. How are you, Calliope?"

"Enough with the pleasantries, Hecate. You know why I'm here. You feel it as well as I do."

"Yes. You want to stop Niobe, but more importantly, you wish to have Hades forget his aspiration to begin war."

"So, you will help me?"

"I will and I am aware that you have agreed to the conditions."

"I have. Now, I need the potion immediately, things have taken a turn for the worst."

"You will need some water from the River of Lethe. I'll ask Aeëtes to gather some for me."

"Oh? Is that the new husband I've been hearing about?"

"Define new."

"Fair enough. When can I expect the potion to be complete?"

"It should be finished by tomorrow at dawn. I will personally deliver it to you."

"Thank you. And I will take it up with Apollo after he has regained his immortality and found his lyre." Hecate nodded and turned away to prepare the potion. The door opened and the witch from earlier came in to bring Calliope back to the front porch. Calliope transported herself to her home on Mt. Olympus to discuss some matters with Hephaestus.

Meanwhile, at school, one of the jocks, Cody Johnston decided that now would be a good opportunity to ask Raina to the dance. He thought that he would have a chance as every girl had to say yes to the first guy that asks her. Cody had been waiting for the dance committee to set this, but he also knew that it would backfire on them. Cody strolled through the hallway and saw Raina exchanging books in her locker. He walked over to her and leaned on the locker next to hers, greeting her, "Hey, Raina."

She looked up and saw who belonged to the voice that addressed her. Her eyes narrowed in irritation and replied, "Oh, it's just you Cody. What do you want?"

"I was just wondering if you would like to go to the dance with me. I know you were just dying for me to ask you and here I am. So what do you say?" He put his arm around her only to have him pulled in one direction. Cody was pinned to the lockers. Raina was startled by the sudden aggression in this unfamiliar boy. She looked into his eyes, but all she saw was anger. Cody became infuriated and yelled, "Hey, man. What's your problem? And who the heck are you; I've never seen you before!"

"I am Dylan and I happen to be going to the dance with Raina as I asked her this morning," Poseidon responded. Raina's eyes widened with confusion and astonishment. She wondered how he enrolled himself in this school and was here standing on two legs and without a tail.

"Really? I'd like to hear that from Raina." Raina opened her mouth to respond, but Poseidon's head snapped around and gave her a hard gaze. There was coldness in his eyes that she had never seen before. She closed her mouth instantly and nodded.

"She is spoken for. You are not to speak to her, look at her or touch her. Do so and you will answer to me."

"You think I'm scared of you? I have a football team backing me up and who do you have?"

"I am adequate."

"Care to test that theory?"

"What do we have here? A fight, perhaps?" An older voice interrupted the argument and Poseidon immediately removed his hands. It was Mr. Jackson and as soon as the students saw him, the crowd dissipated until there were only 3 students left. "Well? What happened?"

"Nothing, sir." Cody responded.

"Do I need to report you to the principal?"

"But, sir. He started it…"

"Not another word. Get to class." After Cody left with a frustrated huff Mr. Jackson turned to Poseidon and said, "You should stay away from him, son. He can be a handful. If you both must settle a dispute, please do it off of school property." With that, Mr. Jackson walked away and left Raina and Poseidon alone.

"What are you doing here?" Raina whispered.

"Do you not want me here?" Poseidon replied.

"That is not the problem. You can't just show up and start a fight with one of the football players. And the dance? Why did you say we were going together? You never asked me and I never said I would go with you."

"I cannot stand the sight of someone, let alone a boy, touch you."

"Jealousy is not a good enough reason to just put your hands on someone, Poseidon. This is the mortal world. In the immortal world, it is simply jealousy. Here, we call it assault. You need to control your temper better. I don't know how jealousy could make you that cold and mean." Raina stomped away in a fury to her class, leaving Poseidon by himself. There was hurt clear in his eyes and he sullenly walked to the library for his free period. _Stupid, stupid, stupid. I wish I could tell her without scaring her off._ He thought. Poseidon was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't see a girl watching in the corner. She walked through the front doors with a smile on her face, a look of devilish content.

That night at Luna's house, Calliope was talking to Hephaestus and he was saying that Hestia completed the task and then ended the conversation as he had to make new reins for Helios' chariot. Suddenly, a blinding light filled the room and everyone shielded their eyes at the brightness. Once the light disappeared, everyone uncovered their eyes to the sight of Hestia before them. She was smiling at all of her friends and said, "Hello again, my friends."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen.

Everyone rushed towards Hestia, happy to see her again. Although it had been almost three days since they had seen her, it felt like three years. Luna and Raina were the happiest to see their best friend back. Aphrodite gave a forced smile as she wasn't happy to be in the presence of yet another puritan. Poseidon was happy as well because Raina was happy and that was enough for him. She was so happy that she began to have tears build up in the corners of her eyes. Poseidon took the opportunity to bring her into his arms and she didn't push him away. Luna was hugging her friend, obviously happy to be in the presence of her true friend instead of the impersonation that was Aphrodite. Calliope smiled and Cyrus welcomed her back with a hug of his own. Luna, Raina and Cyrus asked her, "How does it feel to be Hestia once again?"

"I was always Hestia, my friends. I just had to awaken her. But I do feel refreshed and it is a great feeling!" Hestia replied. There were gleams in their eyes, awaiting the feeling of rejuvenation once they regained their immortality. Luna looked at her friend more closely and noticed that her features were heightened upon her transformation. Her auburn tresses were more pronounced, like a delicate ember was added. Her eyes also contained a sparkle that wasn't there before. Although she looked angelic, Luna could see the remnants of the once extant Elysia.

Suddenly, the reunion was cut short when Ares appeared. He always wore his battle armor and helmet so Luna was never able to see his hidden features behind the armor. His eyes darted between the people in the room and rested on Aphrodite. He gave her a wink and proceeded to talk, "I see that Hestia has completed her training. If you don't mind, I feel that it is appropriate for me to take Luna and Raina for their training now."

"Yes, Ares, I was planning on sending them to you as soon as they said goodbye to Hestia," Calliope responded.

"Very well, now please."

"Now? If you think that best, then alright." Everyone gave their goodbyes and Poseidon stepped forward and said, "I think it would be best if I went with them."

"Why, Poseidon?"

"I would feel better and it would make me feel some comfort if I watched over Raina." Raina's head snapped around and looked at Poseidon. She felt compassion radiating off of him and was taken aback by the emotion in his words.

"But, she…"

"I think it's okay. Let him come." Now it was time for Poseidon to be shocked. His head snapped around and his eyes locked onto Raina's. She smiled at him and he smiled back. Calliope noticed the exchange and agreed. Ares acquiesced with adequate reason. Calliope generated a portal with the help of Hestia, because there was more than one person being transported, a portal was required. Raina feels a dark presence surrounding her and Poseidon notices her change in composure. He looks around frantically, searching for the source of Raina's discomfort. His eyes reveal nothing to him and they go through the portal, however the feeling follows them to the other side. Poseidon remains guarded when he sees Raina tense. "Poseidon?"

"Yes?"

"Do you feel that?"

"I feel your discomfort and therefore I feel something or someone here. It would be best to remain on our guard. I think someone came through without our knowledge. I better alert Ares." He walks up to Ares and discusses with him the situation. Ares' stance changes into something more hostile than usual. He nods his head and dismisses him. Poseidon returns to Raina's side, "He says that he will monitor the area while you and Luna are training. Right now, your training is more important, but I feel that that won't matter when your safety is threatened."

"Thank you. I appreciate your care in the matter." Her hand touched his cheek and he leaned into it, placing his hand on top of hers. "But Ares is right, my training is important. I am one of the big 12 as well as Luna. We must do what we can to regain our immortality and former lives."

"I will let you train, but don't think this means that I am okay with it." Raina nodded and they continued to walk in silence. They walked to Ares' house which was in the mountains as he liked to train whenever he wasn't fighting. Ares directed them to changing rooms where appropriate attire was waiting for them. Raina and Luna came out and Poseidon gasped at Raina's fierce appearance. _She looks as she did during her life as Athena._ He thought. His thoughts were jostled when Ares' booming voice sounded through the mountains, "LUNA! Why is it you refuse to wield a sword?"

"Being the goddess of the hunt, I wield a bow and arrows. It is befitting to my position, Ares."

"You aren't a goddess yet. You better watch that mouth of yours. Do not think for a second that you can outmatch me." Luna scowled at this. The hostility between Ares and Luna was undeniable. Ares was more sympathetic to Athena as she shared the same position as him. "Raina, my dragons in the cave around the corner. You must tame them and let them get used to your presence. However if any of you kill my dragons, you will end up like Cadmus." He stalked off to a spot to clean his sword.

"Who is Cadmus? I don't think I ever met him." Raina whispered to Poseidon.

"No, you met him once. You would have gotten to known him better if weren't always busy caring for the people of Athens or working on battle strategies for Ares. You were such a compassionate goddess and you still are. Anyway, he was once a Phoenician prince. With your help, he was able to carry Harmonia off and help him become king of the Illyrians. He had slain a dragon that Ares greatly admired and he made Cadmus do penance for eight years by serving him. Harmonia and Cadmus fell in love and once Cadmus became the king of Thebes, the gods let him marry Harmonia and granted him immortality."

"Was Harmonia related to Ares? I can't seem to remember her."

"Do not fret. Some memories are still locked away as they may be special to your immortal mind that they shouldn't be unlocked yet. Harmonia is the goddess of content and peace. She is the daughter of Aphrodite and Ares. Ares loved her greatly so do not say anything negative or possibly offending to him."

"I would never!"

"I know you wouldn't, but Ares is the god of war. He is always looking for an excuse to fight. He is only training you and Luna because he thinks there is a big war to prepare for and that is where he gets his strength from. Now, enough talk for now. You better do as he says before you anger him. He is already frustrated with Luna."

"Why?"

"That is for another time. I'll be watching."

Meanwhile, a woman touched the dragons, causing an uproar. She smiles and says quietly, "I told you I would take care of you." She rushes behind the trees and waits for the ensuing chaos to be unleashed on the four.

Raina and Luna walked around the corner only to be closely incinerated by the dragon's flames. They jumped back and let out a yelp. Poseidon came rushing to Raina's side and told Ares as he ran past him, "Something is not right. Someone else is here. Do you feel that?"

"Yes, we must hurry. I have a feeling about who it may be." Ares and Poseidon rushed to the girls' sides and asked what was wrong. They explained and Ares couldn't believe what he was hearing. "My dragons would never hurt anyone intentionally. Let me calm them down." Ares walked over and tried to calm the beasts, but they released another fiery attack and Ares managed to deflect it with his shield. Ares whispered to Poseidon to take care of the dragon while he searched for the threat. Ares' form dissipated when the dragon unleashed yet another fiery attack. Poseidon jumped in and summoned his triton. He used water to douse the fire and the dragons. He froze the water to lower the body temperature of the dragons so that they couldn't produce anymore fire.

Ares reappeared with the woman by his side. The girls gasped as they saw who it was. Ares' face was twisted with hatred and anger. "Here is your source."

"Alyssa Suns?" Luna and Raina gasped, surprised that Cyrus' mortal mother was the cause of all of this chaos.

"No. Eris." Ares said through clenched teeth.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen.

"Eris?!" Luna and Raina exclaimed. "Like the goddess that nobody likes, Eris?" Raina asked.

"Watch your tongue!" Eris retorted.

"Although this is my beloved sister, I cannot let her interfere with your training," Ares explained.

"That explains a lot," Luna said.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Ares shouted in reply, irritated at Luna's smart mouth attitude. Poseidon shot Luna a look, warning her to keep her mouth shut. Luna remained silent and shook her head to brush off what was said. Ares turned to Eris and said, "Sister, why is it you must cause discontent among my dragons? You realize what happened to Cadmus when he killed one of my own. Why do it?"

"Brother dearest, it is my custodial duty that I attend to discord and strife. Even if it involves you and/or your offspring."

"Sister, it is time that you have moved on. I understand that you feel threatened by Harmonia, but this is just exhausting."

"I have not come here for Harmonia. Ever since she was transformed into a snake, she's been such a letdown. No longer the worthy adversary."

"Then why have you come Eris?" Poseidon interjected.

"Ah, Poseidon. The almighty sea god. I have come here on the orders of dear Niobe."

"Niobe? Why would you work with the likes of her?" Luna asked.

"I never thought I would see the day when I would be talking to the mortal form of the great huntress, Artemis. Nevertheless, I need discord to sustain myself, she was willing to provide it, I see no problem in this."

"There is one problem with your plan, Sister. Being the goddess of discord does not mean you are allowed to bring concord to another."

"I am not bringing concord to anyone, I AM NOT HARMONIA AND I WILL NEVER EVER BE HER."

"Sister, while you are in my presence, you will not judge my daughter so harshly."

"Aww. I see the goddess of love has made you soft."

"No one has made me soft! If you speak of my children and Aphrodite in such a manner, don't think that I will not punish you. Even if you are my sister."

"I will not ask for forgiveness as that would be out of character for me. It can be said that I, Eris, goddess of discord and strife, will not be manipulated by a dead mortal."

"Sister, you are. You must realize it. If you must know, ask Raina. She is the mortal form of Athena and she is wiser than her years. She will know the truth." Eris' face hardened, then softened until there was an unreadable expression on her face. She nodded slightly, it was so small that if Raina blinked, she would have missed her acquiesce. Eris made her way to Raina with Ares trailing closely behind. Instinctively, Poseidon stood in front of Raina and blocked Eris' distance to her. "Poseidon, move out of the way."

"NO." Poseidon responded with a hard glare. Raina recognized it as Poseidon had given the same look to Cody who only wanted to go to the dance with her. Raina's eyes widened at Poseidon's protective arms that shielded her from Eris' gaze as she put the signs together. She hadn't realized that Poseidon was capable of this emotion, this admiration. At that moment, Raina knew that Poseidon loved her and that she felt the same way. However, she could never show this emotion outwardly as her status as a virgin goddess would no longer remain as it once was. Raina touched Poseidon's arm and he flinched at the contact. It was the first time that Raina had purposely touched him and with such tenderness and affection. Their eyes met and Raina's eyes gazed into the swirling blues in his eyes. It appeared that some telepathic conversation was occurring between Raina and Poseidon. Luna looked at her friend and smiled knowingly, _It's about time._ She thought. Luna had been waiting ages for Raina and Poseidon to fully realize their feelings for each other. Ares recognized the look in their eyes and smiled as the scene in front of him reminded him of his feelings for Aphrodite. Eris rolled her eyes, but she knew the truth behind their shared gaze. It was equivalent to that of Cadmus' and Harmonia's. She scoffed and crossed her arms, waiting for the moment to pass. But then again…"Are you quite finished?" Eris asked. Suddenly, they snapped back to the present. Poseidon slowly nodded, stepped aside, but kept his hand in hers. Raina gestured to Eris who came forward proudly. Raina took Eris' hand and gazed into her eyes.

"You are being deceived, Eris," Raina said. Eris immediately snatched her hand back and replied, "You are right, _Raina_. I am being decieved. By the likes of you! You do not have your immortality, therefore you do not share premonition abilities that match to that of Apollo!" Poseidon immediately pushed Raina behind him and the ensuing battle begun. Eris lunges at Poseidon and he pushes Raina away from the entanglement. Ares rushed in to help Poseidon, but Eris caused her magic to freeze Ares where he was. Ares used his magic to throw a spear at Eris, but it was directed back to him in the form of snake. Ares fought the giant snake and while Eris was temporarily distracted with Ares, Poseidon summoned his triton. He created a wave of water that separated Eris and him. Luna watched the whole scene unfold as there was nothing she could do without any training. She stayed back with Raina who also watched, but much to her chagrin. Suddenly, the battlefield was covered with light and once the light dissipated, a shining figure was in the midst of the conflict. Raina's eyes widened and she noted the appearance of the shimmering figure. She had long, elegant black hair and there was confidence in her green eyes. Raina noticed the necklace around her neck and put the clues together mentally, "Harmonia." Luna's eyes flashed to Raina and she was confirmed when the snake disappeared and Ares remarked, "Thank you, Daughter. However, do not think that I am so weak that I require your assistance every time I go into battle."

"I wouldn't think any less of you than you are, Father. Allow me to assist, please. It is my duty as the goddess of peace and contentment to eliminate any strife in the world." Her voice radiated with peace that it brought waves of contentment through Raina. Ares nodded slightly in response and said, "I am glad that you have decided to join me for once in a battle, Daughter."

"Do not get used to it , Father."

"I realize it, it is besides your nature. You mustn't defy it. You must help Poseidon." Harmonia nodded and rushed to aid Posiedon. Right as Eris launched another attack, Harmonia used her magic to counteract it. Eris turned around in a fury and her eyes narrowed at her new opponent.

"Well, Harmonia. Isn't this nice? Two old adversaries meet once again on the battlefield."

"I wouldn't use the word nice, Eris. I will defeat you." Harmonia launched an attack, only to have it counteracted by Eris. This continued for some time, a clear winner was not obvious for they were evenly matched. Raina fidgeted where she stand, not being able to watch the scene in fornt of her while waiting on the sidelines. Raina turned to Luna and said, "I cannot take it anymore! I must help Harmonia!"

"But you have no training, no immortality."

"I must. If anything should happen to me…"

"I'll let him know, but somehow I think the Fates are smiling down on you. You will defeat Eris." Raina quickly hugged Luna and Poseidon watched them in confusion. His fears were confirmed when Raina grabbed her sword and ran towards Eris. Luckily, Harmonia was distracting Eris so Eris did not see Raina's charge. Before Poseidon could stop her attack, Raina lunged and stabbed Eris in the side. She let out a shriek of pain and Harmonia seized the moment to contain Eris in an unbreakable cage. Suddenly, the bright light returned, however it shielded Raina's body this time and every immortal was able to see her. Her brown locks elongated and they became loose curls. Her eyes remained brown, but there was a hidden allure that only Poseidon could see as he gazed into the endless depths of her eyes. Her clothes are restored to a feminine war gear and once the light dissipated, her complete form has dissapeared. "I am back." Her face held the most happiest of smiles and her voice was harshly beautiful. She glanced at Poseidon and moved towards him, her movement was stealthily light and quiet. "I am truly back!" Poseidon smiled at her happiness because whenever she was happy, he was happy as well.

"Welcome back, Athena," Poseidon greeted with obvious exuberance.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen.

Poseidon took Athena in her arms and she thanked him for his kindness and his love. Harmonia talked to Ares in a hushed tone, they embraced and he looked after her as she headed back through the forest. Her form became diminished as she walked and Luna watched in awe as her body became snake-like as she glided on the ground. For the briefest of moments, she saw another snake and she could have sworn it was smiling at her. Luna's eyes widened in astonishment. She thought she was seeing things so she blinked several times. By the time her eyes focused, the snakes were gone. Luna looked at Ares who was still looking in the direction where Harmonia walked. She walked over to Ares in an attempt to comfort him, but he scoffed and stalked over to Eris. Luna ignored his reaction and returned to her place beside Athena. Ares locked eyes with Eris and she let out a cry of frustration. The cage she was imprisoned in was preventing any chance for escape. She thrashed in the cage, hoping to break it's binding on her, but she could not as it was forged by her enemy, Harmonia. Alone, they were evenly matched, but with the help of these Olympians, she would be no match for Harmonia. Ares spoke to Eris, "Sister, you have brought this upon yourself. You may be my dearest sister, but your obssession with strife has affected not only these gods and goddesses, but me as well. You will spend some time with Zeus until you have learned to control that anger of yours." Eris' eyes widened at the mention of Zeus. She opened her mouth to speak, but with a wave of Ares' hand, the cage with Eris inside of it disappeared before their eyes. Ares' eyes lingered at the spot where Eris once was. Then he turned to the other Olympians and said to them, "She deserved her fate. She is not to harm mortals and at the moment, Artemis is a mortal. But enough of that, we must speak to Calliope and Aphrodite to tell them what has happened. I fear we are running out of time."

They arrived home quickly as Athena had summoned a portal and they went through it as a group. Cyrus immediately stood up when he saw his sister among the many others. He started making his way towards her, but stopped when he realized she was still in mortal form. "What has happened?" Cyrus asked angrily. "Why is my sister not back to her immortal form? She should be back along with Athena?" He looked at Athena and gave her a nod of acknowledgement, but directed his anger at Ares.

"You better do best to mind your tone, light god. You are mortal as of right now and it would not be wise to anger me so."

Calliope put a reassuring hand on Cyrus' arm and replied, "there is no need for an argument or physical confrontation, Ares. However, Cyrus does have a point. Why have you come back with only Athena and not Artemis? I take it that something dreadful has occurred and you felt the need to reconvene?"

"Artemis is here, just not in the form you had expected. Allow me to explain."

"Very well. Shall we retire to the living room?" They headed into the living room in silence and everyone took their seats immediately. "Now, let us hear this explanation of yours, Ares."

"We were training and all of a sudden, I hear disturbance among my dragons. They were acting oddly violent. Although they do not like strangers, they never act this dangerosusly. Poseidon had alerted me to a presence prior to this incident and I took it into consideration and we decided to contine with the training and remain on guard. Unfortunately, I felt a trace of someone's magic when sensing the aura of my dragons. I went to find the source and it turned out to Eris or as the mortals called her in this world, Alyssa Suns." Cyrus' eyes widened in contempt then to anger and then to frustration. He stomped off in a huff and Luna said that she would follow him, so she went out the door with him to talk to him.

"Judging by Cyrus' response and the last name, I take it that this was Cyrus' mother."

"Yes and she was working with Niobe. We tried to tell her that Niobe was causing her to defy her custodial duties as the goddess of strife. She attacked us all and she knew the consequences of her actions."

"She has been taken care of?"

"I sent her for judgment with Zeus. Luckily, Harmonia showed up when she did as we needed some of her harmony in the situation."

"Oh? Harmonia was there as well? I do miss her so."

"As do I." Aphrodite leaned her head on Ares' shoulder to offer some of her strength and love over the amplied lovesickness they felt for their daughter. Ares stroked her hair lovingly and his strained facial expression disappeared. He resumed talking, "This is why I have come. With Eris' containment, Niobe cannot be too far behind. Which is why it is essential that we begin the quest to Mt. Olympus for Apollo's lyre. If we run into the chimera, Luna can earn her immortality as well."

"I see that the situation demands that we make haste. We shall go immediately. However, during this training, you and Athena will assist Luna in her training to ensure her victory with the chimera."

"It will be done."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen.

"The fastest way to get to Mt. Olympus is to go through the forest first," Calliope instructed. They walked for quite some time in silence, occasionally stopping for a meal break or Ares' training lesson with Luna. They made their way to a majestic waterfall where 3 beautiful maidens were bathing and talking with such glee. Cyrus felt instantly drawn to them and he felt his feet move towards them, unwillingly. Calliope tried to pull him back, but he continued to walk forward. Calliope let him go because she felt that he needed to understand what was welcoming him back once he regained his immortality. He was the god of light, there was no way he would settle down with someone like her. As if he heard her thoughts, Cyrus snapped out of it and started to turn around until the maidens saw him and immediately dressed and made their way to Cyrus. Their hands were pawing over him and their eyes held a gleam. "Who are you, handsome?"

"Cyrus. Who are you?"

"This is Acantha, Castalia and I am Daphne." Cyrus looked them over as their names were given. Daphne had beautiful blond locks of hair that seemed to move in sync with her. Her eyes were brown like Calliope's, but he didn't feel the same affectionate feelings he felt for Calliope. Castalia had aquamarine hair that cascaded down to her waist. Every moment she made appeared to be fluid. Her eyes were an entrancing blue, but he still didn't feel the same affection he had felt for Calliope. His eyes moved on to Acantha who appeared to be the most reserved. Her hair was a beautiful silver color and when the lights hit it at the right angle, it looked almost purple. Her eyes were violet, unusual for a person. Cyrus stared at them and the maidens mistook this for appreciation of their bodies. They were sadly mistaken and slightly humiliated when Cyrus asked, "what are you?"

"Excuse me?" Daphne replied.

"What are you? You are not human nor are you mortal."

"And you aren't mortal?"

"For the time being, yes I am mortal. I wish to find my lyre."

"Apollo?"

"Yes, but you have failed to tell me what you beautiful creatures are."

"Apollo! But how? And don't you remember us? You and I were lovers before Calliope here came along." Daphne turned to Acantha and Castalia and said, "you'd think they would remember what nymphs were when they see one." They giggled in response.

"Nymphs! Of course. I am sorry. You are the first of nymphs I have seen since my immortality has been locked away and I have been trapped in this cursed mortal form. As for Calliope, she is none of your concern."

"Even as a mortal, you have the ability to surprise us, Apollo dear. And such strength to repel us so."

"It is not without difficulty. Do not fret, you will find a man that is capable of looking past the glorious beauty his eyes offer and will simply fall in love with your soul."

"I appreciate your honesty, but I must ask, how did you become this?"

"I shall allow Calliope to explain that to you while the rest of us set up a plan." Cyrus gestured to Calliope and she took his place. She placed a loving kiss on his cheek and turned her attention to the nymphs. She began to explain as Cyrus headed over to the others. Ares had a map out and was discussing defensive plans with Poseidon, Luna and Athena. He thought, _I wish Hestia was here. I know she needs to maintain the image of Luna's mortal life, but this is insane! She should be here…_Cyrus snapped out of his thoughts when Ares called him over. "Cyrus, we are discussing the next step we must take. Poseidon thinks the fastest way is to continue through the forest and travel by sea where we should make it to Mt. Olympus."

"That will be just fine, Poseidon. Does anyone disagree with this plan?" Cyrus asked. No one responded and so Cyrus spoke once again, "Great! We shall go in the morning. We must be well rested."

"I think that is a very smart idea, Cyrus. It would give Luna time to go over her trainning with Ares and reconnect with the forest and the nymphs," Athena remarked. Ares responded with a quick nod of his head. Everyone aagreed to this and went their separate ways. Cyrus stopped Athena with his arm on her shoulder, his eyes communicating what his mouth could not. "Poseidon dear, I will need a few moments with Cyrus. I'll find you as soon as we are finished." Poseidon smiled and nodded. He headed over to the waterfall to regain some of his energy.

Once Cyrus and Athena were alone, Cyrus asked her, "Why do I feel such an unbearable attraction to the nymphs? I know Calliope does not let her concern show, but she feels as though she is losing me. I feel sadness in her aura and I do not wish to be the source of her sadness or discontent."

"It is not in your nature to be monogamous, Cyrus. As a god, you took many lovers. Your flirtations will stop with your power, no one can help you overcome it. Calliope is only worried because she feels that you are close to reverting back to the flirtatious god you once were. She truly loves you and for that she is afraid she will lose you."

"There must be something I can do!"

"There is always a way, but there isn't an idea or way I can offer you. I may be the goddess of wisdom, but even my powers are limited. You must work it out for yourself. I trust that is all the advice you need?"

"Thank you, Athena. I will consider your advice carefully."

"It is not a problem for me, Cyrus. Should you ever need anymore advice, you know where to find me." Athena winked and walked over to the waterfall to speak with Poseidon. Cyrus watched their embrace and the way they gazed into each other's eyes. He yearned for them to be him and Calliope. _I must fix this immediately. I have some healing power, it shouldn't be a problem_, Cyrus thought. Cyrus walked into an isolated area and practiced conjuring some of his healing power. It was a dull light, but he persisted it. He willed it with his thoughts to use it to expel these unwanted feelings from him. He watched the light vibrate and it headed for the nymphs. He tried to call it back, but it was too late. The nymphs were hit with a blinding light that made everyone shield their eyes from the intensity of it. Once the light disappeared, the nymphs appeared unscathed. However, Daphne exclaimed, "I can't shift to my other form!"

"I can't either!" Acantha said.

"Neither can I!" Castalia replied. Everyone looked around to find Cyrus until their eyes found him lurking behind the bushes. "Cyrus? Did you do this?" Castalia asked.

"I think I did. I am so sorry!" He apologized.

"There is no need to apologize. We have been trying to find a way to permanently regain our regular forms. We have become so accustomed to our other forms that it will take some time to adjust," Daphe explained. "But if I may ask, what were you trying to do?"

"I was trying to get rid of these unwarranted feelings I have for you and Acantha and Castalia. I love Calliope and I don't want to ruin what we have. I thought that if I healed myself, it would get rid of these unnecessary feelings."

"Cyrus, I understand your confusion, but maybe you shouldn't bother with it. If you truly love Calliope then these feelings will go away."

"Cyrus, I love you. Obviously you need some time to figure out your feelings. I am willing to give you that time," Calliope said. "You need to understand your options."

"No, Calliope. I know my options and there is only one that I choose, that I will ever choose." Cyrus walked over to Calliope and took her into his arms. He leaned down and gave her a kiss. Calliope's arms reached around Cyrus' waist in response. They reluctantly pulled apart when they heard the sound of someone clearing their throat. They smiled at each other and kept their arms around each other. They nymphs slightly frowned at the scene in disapproval. They righted themselves and said, "Seeing as you need help finding your lyre, we will accompany you. It is the least we can do after all the trouble we have caused you. We will not take no for an answer." Castalia and Acantha nodded in agreement.

"Thank you for your assistance. I think it would be wise to retire for the day." Everyone replied in agreement except for Ares. Luna started walking towards a tree and she was stopped by Ares' coarse hand. "Not you, Luna." Ares and Luna walked to an area that was away from the others while they trained. "Seeing how you prosper at night, it would be logical to take the time to train."

"What am I doing?" Luna replied, rolled her eyes annoyingly.

"First, you will dispose of that attitude. Next, you will battle me in hand to hand combat. Your goal is to defeat me." Ares lunged at Luna with his fists bared. Luna blocked his attack and proceeded to strike him, only to have it deflected. Ares' punch landed and the force of it caused her to get thrown into a tree trunk. She collapsed, unable to resume fighting. "You are weak," Ares spat at her. As he began to walk away, Ares said, "come find me when you believe that you are worthy of my time." He stalked off to Aphrodite, leaving Luna alone to tend to her wounds. She got up grumbling, she rubbed her back. She went to bathe in the lake to calm down. She was deep in thought until she was interrupted by laughter approaching her. She turned around and saw the three nymphs, they appeared to be happy which was the opposite that Luna felt at that moment. Luna grumbled and tried to drown her angers in the relaxation and serenity of the lake. It was difficult to do so when Luna was hit with an intense splash. She exclaimed, "Hey! What is the meaning of this?"

The nymphs turned and looked at her in shock and quickly said, "Sorry, Luna. We apologize. We didn't see you there."

"It is quite alright, just please keep it down. I am not in the mood for such happiness and enthusiasm."

"Why? It isn't something we did is it?"

"No, just another faulty training session with the war god."

"Did he injure you again?"

"My back just hurts."

"Allow us to take a look at it." They swam over to her and looked at her back. There was a large bruise spread across her back. It took a sickly purple color. "You must have Cyrus heal you."

"Considering the incident that happened earlier, I will have to kindly disagree. Also, Ares believes I am a waste of his time. If I were to heal myself, he would not take me seriously. However, he never took me seriously to begin with. I don't know how to show him that I am capable of fighting."

"Perhaps you should find a worthy opponent and fight them. There are many troublesome monsters here and you should take the time to battle them in order to earn Ares' respect."

"That isn't a bad idea. Who would be worthy adversaries?"

"There are cyclops, Scylla, the other two Gorgons, Stheno and Euryale. However, I wouldn't battle Stheno and Euryale as they are the most dangerous. Although Medusa was defeated, her soul lives on in her sisters and so you would be facing two Gorgons in one Gorgon." Luna stopped listenly after this and started a plan. She knew where the Gorgons lived. It seemed logical to fight Stheno first as she was the most dangerous of them all with her belligerent nature. She said goodbye to the nymphs and they embraced. Luna walked out of the water and decided to head to bed as she would wake up early to fight this Gorgon.

The next morning, Luna woke up quietly and prepared a bow and arrow. Although it wasn't her own bow and arrows, it was better than a sword. She made her way to the cave and she lit a torch. She walked stealthily, on guard. She continued walking, constantly scanning the area for a threat. She came to a sleeping figure. She shot her arrow and it hit the Gorgon in the stomach and caused it jerk awake. It looked around and saw Luna. Her eyes narrowed and she bared her sharp fangs in anger. She pulled the arrow out with brass hands, letting the blood drip out. Her red hair of venemous snakes moved with her every step as she made her way towards Luna. Luna fled and hid behind a rock and shot another arrow. This time it hit her in her leg. She pulled it out once again, not caring that it caused a steady flow of blood to leak out. Luna readied her arrows and prepared 3 arrows. She fired and it hit Stheno in her arm, stomach and her heart. She pulled each of these out and Luna was startled when she pulled the arrow from where her heart should be. She remained standing strong. Suddenly, Luna shot an arrow in front of Stheno to confuse her. She walked around until she was behind her. Stheno whipped around and Luna fired three arrows in her legs and stomach. Stheno didn't bother to pull these out and continued her pursuit. Luna fired three more into her arms and chest. Stheno's movements began to slow and Luna took the opportunity to take a single arrow and brought the arrow to her neck, slashing it. Her head was severed at the action and Luna watched as her body fell to the ground. She set the body afire with the torch and placed the severed head in a bag. She took the torch and bag and fled out of the cave. When she made it to the otehrs, they were awake. They were confused to see Luna covered in blood. Ares spoke first, "Looks like someone gave you a beating. You decided to come running back to mommy eh?" Luna dropped the bag at Ares feet, grabbed a plate of scrambled eggs and sat down, enjoying her breakfast. While Luna was scarfing down her food, Ares looked at the bag. He picked it up and opened it up. The others were staring at the bag, wondering what the contents were. Ares put his hand in the bag and pulled out Stheno's severed head. Ares' eyes widened and his mouth was agape in shock. The others gasped at the spectacle while Luna continued to eat in silence. Ares' eyes darted to Luna and they made eye contact. For a few moments, they had what appeared to be a silent conversation. Ares nodded in respect and Luna returned her attention to her meal. The nymphs rushed over to Luna and said, "Is that Stheno? We told you not to go after the Gorgons. Now that Stheno is no more, it won't take long until—" Daphne was cut off when a blood-curdling shriek sounded throughout the forest. Daphne looked at Luna and said, "See what you have done? When you don't kill them all, you have to deal with their siblings. You have brought Euryale's wrath upon us for your indiscretion."

"I am not sorry. I did what was necessary," Luna replied.

"I agree with Luna. Stheno was the most belligerent of the Gorgons, it would be a matter of time before she came after Athena in spite," Poseidon said.

"And Mt. Olympus," Ares added. "If anyone, I am surprised that as a mortal, Artemis was able to defeat such a beast. For that, she will eternally have my respect."

"That does not clearly justify her actions! How on earth will we defeat Euryale? She has her sister, Medusa's, power."

"We will defeat her as Luna defeated Stheno. Simple as that."

"Heck, at least the Earth and Mt. Olympus will be rid of these infamous Gorgons."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty.

Euryale came at them with her brass hands, sharp fangs and hair of snakes. They immediately averted her stony gaze, none of them had wishes to be stone for all of eternity. The nymphs took Cyrus for protection as he had no prior training. "Luna! You, Poseidon, Athena and I will take on Euryale. Remember everyone, we mustn't look her in her eyes!" Ares yelled. They all charged Euryale, Luna used nature to help guide her attack. She fired thrree arrows and she heard them fire as Euryale screamed in response. The scream caused everyone to shield their ears from the horrible sound. She heard a crunch and a snapping sound and assumed that the arrows were removed and broken. Luna fires more arrows and hears them land as Euryale screams once more. "Now, Athena! Now is your chance!" Athena charged Euryale while she was busying herself with the arrows. Euryale saw Athena coming and charged at her. Luna shot three more arrows, slowing down her movement as she did with Stheno. Athena took the opportunity to look up and her eyes met the Gorgons. She severed the head of the last of the Gorgons. They all watch the severed head drop to the ground with a thud. They set the body afire and they bagged the head.

"Hmph. I guess the stone vision was a myth," Athena remarked.

"Athena, you shouldn't be so careless," Poseidon scolded.

"What did her eyes look like?" Luna asked.

"They held no depths for they held no color or life. It was as if she was possessed by Chaos. To think that I created them out of anger. And so ends the Gorgons of Athena. I will never make a mistake like that anymore."

"We have no reason to doubt you, Athena," Ares said.

"What shall we do with the heads?" Luna asked.

"I think it would be wise to give them to Zeus." Ares transported them to Zeus' chamber of Mt. Olympus. "Now, we shall hurry along." The others came out of hiding and Poseidon led them to the ocean.

"How will we get across?" Luna asked.

"Allow me," Poseidon simply said. He summoned his triton and started speaking Atlanican. After he stopped speaking, two dolphin heads emerged from the water and happily squeaked in greeting. Poseidon spoke to the dolphins and they nodded their head. Luna stared in astonishment, watching Poseidon communicate with these creatures. It was truly a strange, yet unforgettable moment. "The dolphins have agreed to take us to the island. However, we will be put in a difficult situation. The dolphins will try to keep you away from the temptations, but it is up to you all to resist them." They all got on one dolphin and they started swimming away.

Luna asked, "what are these temptations that you keep talking about, Poseidon?"

"It is best if you do not know. It will only increase the curiosity that is already lurking in your mind." Luna remained silent after that, not wanting to push the matter further. "But do not worry, you shall see them and it is important that you remain on the dolphin until we get to the island." Luna nodded in response and the conversation was over.

Suddenly, an ethereal sound filled the air. Luna jerked her head up, trying to find the source of the beautiful sound. She looked at Poseidon, desperation in her eyes and he closed his eyes and shook his head. Luna's eyes darted everywhere, desperate to find the source. The only people that remained unaffected were the nymphs. They passed a rock and there were three beautiful women singing. The nymphs simply rolled their eyes. Poseidon asked them, "Daphne! Why aren't you and your friends under their spell?"

"Because, Poseidon dear, we cannot stand sirens. We rule over land and they rule over the sea, the only difference is that they are ugly. They feel that it is a requirement to put up a façade to draw men in. Deceptive creatures, they are. Ares and Athena are able to resist because he is the god of war and she is the goddess of strategies. He is specially trained for these situations and Athena is familiar with their way of battle and their constant use of deception." Poseidon's eyes darted to Ares, then Athena, unaware that they were also unaffected. He made a sigh of relief, satisfied that Athena was able to resist their call. "We must make sure that the others do not go to them."

"Leave it to me. I shall make them go away."

"How do you intend to do that, Poseidon? They have been here for centuries."

"You forget easily, Daphne. I am the god of the seas. I will command them to leave. They may return as soon as we make it to the island safely."

"How do you intend to persuade them to agree?'

"Watch me. Restrain the others. Especially Luna, her behavior is questionable." Poseidon swam closer to the rock and made eye contact with the sirens. There was immediate fear in their eyes. Poseidon said in a booming voice, "Leave. I will summon you when you are needed here again. If you disobey me, you shall feel my wrath as Zeus felt his with Charybdis." They stopped singing, expanded their wings and flew away hastily. Those under the influence of their tune snapped out of it and looked around in confusion. Luna looked at Daphne and asked her why her arms were wrapped around Luna's body. Daphne releases her arms and goes back to the dolphins. They continued riding on the dolphins for some time until Daphne asked, "Why did you assign the sirens to guard the entrance to Mt. Olympus? Don't you think you are in need of new guards?"

"They lure those that are not allowed to pass through the gates. They are obedient and I promised Gaia that they would serve some role in my world. Who do you suggest that I replace them with?" Poseidon responded.

"How about Scylla or Charybdis?"

Poseidon rolled his eyes and said, "Scylla and Charybdis are busy in Sicily."

"Well what about us?"

No offense, Daphne, but the sirens would be offended if I replaced them with the beauties of the land. They would flee and refuse to serve under me. It may cause a revolt. In case you haven't noticed, Daphne, they despise you."

"That is understandable. We always were the more attractive ones." Daphne and Poseidon's conversation was cut short when Ares yelled, "We have made it!" There was a thin strip of land ahead and the dolphins urged on. The dolphins swam about the island and everyone got off of theirs. The dolphins squealed at Poseidon to which he responded, "Thank you, my friends." They dipped their heads and swam away. They walked towards the castle and walked in through the entrance. They walked throughout the castle and it appeared that no one was home. They checked every room, but everyone and everything was gone. "Where is Zeus?" Poseidon asked.

"This is odd. He should be here along with the other Olympians," Athena replied.

"Why don't we worry about this later and help Cyrus find what he is looking for," Calliope said. "After all, the fate of all light in both worlds are at stake." Everyone murmured their agreement and Calliope gestured Cyrus to lead the way. They kept walking until they made their way to a door. Cyrus opened the door and walked in. There were music sheets spread throughout the room and there were several instruments. On the desk, there were several bottles and Cyrus assumed them to be healing elixirs. He closed his eyes and allowed images to run through his brain. He opened them suddenly and walked towards the bottles on his desk. He mixed the blue substance, a plant and red liquid. Smoke filled the bottle and everyone gasped as they saw the smoke fill the room. The smoke quickly receded and a lyre took its place. The light from the lyre filled the room. Cyrus picked up the lyre and began to play. He enjoyed the feel of the strings beneath his fingertips. He was interrupted by Calliope, "Dear, we may need to leave now. I am happy that you have found what you are looking for, but something tells me that we should get going."

"Thank you for allowing me a moment alone. Where will we go?"

"Back to your house. After all, we must figure out what the key is to your lock." Cyrus nodded and they joined the others. They gave Cyrus a pat on the back and they proceeded to the outside of the castle. Once they made it through the entrance they saw a dark figure awaiting them with two of the most hideous monsters.

"I see you have made it to the party, my friends," the dark figure spoke.

"It is never a good thing to see you, brother," Poseidon replied.

"Didn't you miss me, Poseidon?"

"Hades, you have caused enough disturbance amongst the gods and the mortals. I fail to see the party, as you have brought two monsters with you."

"As you know, brother, I always bring Cerebrus with me when I leave the Underworld."

"I have no idea as to why you would bring that monster with you. Your company is less than favorable."

"Enough talking, brother. You know why I am here."

"I do and you will not kill them. As you may have seen, Athena and Hestia have regain their immortality and Artemis and Apollo shall gain theirs quite soon."

"You misunderstand me, brother. You are right in that I will not kill them. I will leave that to Niobe as her vengeance pleases me so. Although, I may need to kill Apollo. A world without light…that would be a vision of the perfect world."

"You will have to go through me first," Luna spoke up, stepping forward fearlessly.

"So be it." Hades raised his head and signaled the chimera to attack. The chimera and Luna charged at each other. Athena instinctially moved forward to assist Luna, but was stopped by Ares' hand.

"She must do this on her own. Her immortality depends on it. If anyone else, but her takes the kill, she will remain trapped in her mortal form forever." Athena nodded and Ares rushed towards Cerebrus. "However, it was never said that we couldn't kill this beast." Ares stabbed Cerebrus in the leg with his sword and said, "I've always hated this animal." He severed one of the heads of Cerebrus and Hades hissed in reply. He disappeared in a black cloud of smoke as the others engaged the chimera and Cerebrus in an intense battle.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One.

Hades returned to the Underworld where a woman stood, waiting for him. She had honey colored hair and her golden eyes were filled with anger. "Where are Apollo and Artemis? You said that you were bringing them back." There was so much hatred radiating off of her body that it made Hades drunk and giddy.

"We have a problem," Hades replied and he proceeded to tell her what was currently happening at the entrance of Mt. Olympus. The woman's face contorted with anger upon hearing the update of the situation. "Niobe, you have nothing to fear. The chimera and Cerebrus will defeat them. After all, Artemis and Apollo haven't regained their immortality yet. They are still mortal." Niobe's mouth twisted up in a devilish smile.

Meanwhile, Luna struggled to defeat the chimera. They stopped attacking for a moment and it gave Luna a moment to take in the appearance of the ferocious beast. It was a lion and it had a snake for a tail with a goat head rising from its back. Luna grimaced at the gruesome image of the creature. The beast breathed fire and Luna barely got out of the way in time. Her shirt was slightly burned and she glared at the beast. The attacks continued for a few more moments and it didn't seem like anyone was going to win. She put some distance between her and the creature and froze for a moment in her thoughts. _What if I am not supposed to kill the chimera? Neither of us are close to winning and there must be a reason for that. We are evenly matched and that can't be just a coincidence._ A growl disrupted her ensuing thoughts as the beast charged her again. Luna deflected the chimera's attack once again. She threw her weapon down and walked towards the beast with her hands up in caution as if to warn the beast that there was no ill intent on her part. The chimera growled, but did not attack. Luna continued her descent and reached her hand out. The chimera gazed into Luna's eyes and the anger suddenly dissipated. Luna petted the head of the animal and the chimera started to purr in response. The chimera was covered in a shimmering light and it disappeared to reveal the chimera's true form, a lion. Luna said, "The goddess of animals asks you to return to your home. Know that no one will no longer bother you as long as I can help it." The lion dipped its head in gratitude and fled. Luna looked over and saw that the others were still fighting Cerebrus. She began to head over to them until she saw herself become invisible. No one saw that she was disappearing and Luna watched her skin become as translucent as the moon. She took a bundle of her hair and watch it elongate in her hands. It also became more vibrant, her clothes were replaced with her usual hunting gear. Her own bow and arrows appeared in her hands and she watched herself become visible again. She looked up and saw that again, no one had noticed her transformation. She put her arrows on her back and her bow over her shoulder as she stalked towards Cerebrus. As if it knew what she was up to, it stopped attacking and at that moment, everyone took in Artemis' new appearance. Artemis continued and Cerebrus calmed down as Artemis began to rub its head. Her gentle touch reverted Cerebrus back to its original form, a dog. Artemis said as she did to the lion, "The goddess of animals allows you to return to home and no one shall bother you as long as I am able and alive." The dog did as the lion did and fled. Everyone stood in shock at the scene that had just occurred in front of them, their mouths agape.

"It appears that Artemis was not required to kill the chimera," Calliope said with a knowing grin.

"You knew this whole time and yet you said nothing?" Artemis replied.

"It was for your benefit, Artemis. You become close with the very thing you stand for." Artemis nodded and Calliope continued, "Your custodial duty is to protect the animals and you did just that. You returned Cerebrus and the chimera to their original forms. They have been waiting to return to their homes. They couldn't return to their families while being in the body of a monster. You have healed them. You should be proud of yourself."

"I am, but I also realize what this means."

Yes, we are running out of time."

Niobe cursed as she watched the scene from the Underworld with Hades. Hades was also angered by the scene as he watched Cerebrus turn into dog and flee with the lion that was once the fearful chimera. "How dare they curse Cerebrus! My own faithful servant!" Hades' voice boomed with frustration.

"And you said that the chimera and Cerebrus would be too much for them," Niobe spat.

"You will do good to recognize who you are speaking too, mortal. We shall consult the Fates. They are staying in the rooms here at my palace." Hades rushed off to find the Fates and Niobe followed closely behind.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two.

Cyrus and friends made their way back to the forest. The nymphs waved their hands and Cyrus automatically shivered at the feel of the magic in the air. "What was that?" Cyrus asked.

"A protection spell so that there is no way that anyone can enter the forest without our approval," Castalia replied. "You need all the quiet you can get so that you can find the right tune to your lyre."

"Thank you, Castalia. But, I just don't know where I would start…"

"Maybe, we could dance for you?" Daphne asked. "You always loved to play while we danced for you."

"Absolutely not!" Calliope snapped. Cyrus' head snapped over to Calliope, surprised at her sudden change in composure. There eyes met and Calliope's face softened. "Alright, you may, but don't overdo it."

"We wouldn't want to offend you," Daphne replied, although there was a hidden meaning behind those words. Daphne, Castalia and Acantha began to dance. It took all of Cyrus' effort to not fall under their seductive spell. Artemis spoke, "Brother, I feel your control weakening. You must push your feelings aside and find the correct tune." She touched his shoulder as an act of empowerment. Cyrus took a deep breath and began to play his lyre. The music caresssed the air and the nymphs lost themselves in the tune. After the song ends, Cyrus looks down at his body and sees that he is still mortal. He lets out a huff of frustration. "Do not fret, brother. You will not find the tune that easily. Especially, when you are forcing it. You should be relaxed when you play, not tensed and stiff," Artemis consoled him.

"Maybe you need to be in the same state you are in when playing…" Acantha suggested.

"Acantha! You may be right," Daphne replied. Daphne waved her hand and everyone watched as Cyrus' clothes changed into a toga and a laurel wreath on his head.

"That's not what I meant, Daphne," Acantha said.

"Acantha, it's worth a shot," Castalia said.

"A long shot," Acantha mumbled.

"Go ahead, Cyrus. Try to play a different tune." Cyrus started to play a new tune, but the outcome was the same as the first time. He remained in his mortal form and this made him frustrated. How could he figure out which tune would unlock his immortality? There were endless amounts of possibilities.

"Perhaps, we shall leave Cyrus alone. He needs time to figure this out on his own. We are not helping him by pressuring him to come up with the song." Artemis ushered them away and turned back to Cyrus, "Brother, it does not matter if you earn your immortality today or tomorrow or a few days after that. No matter what, I am proud to call you my brother. I wish you all the luck." Artemis smiled at him and left him to his thoughts.

"Thank you, sister," Cyrus whispered.

Hades found the Fates and were in deep discussion over what the plan was next. The Fates were huddled around a table. Hades was becoming furious at the turn the conversation took, "You must realize the importance of my arrival! Apollo is mortal. You have a chance to destroy him. He always was getting in the way of your custodial duties by spreading those sporadic plagues or healing those," Hades growled.

"The Moirai are in charge of fate. Not this god," Niobe added. The Moirai rubbed their chins in speculation. They were deep in thought. "You will not get another chance like this," Niobe said, hoping it would influence their decision. The Moirai called the life strand of Cyrus' and looked deep into it. "There you go, all you have to do is cut the string, Atropos."

"Niobe, shut your mouth! You are not helping them at all. You must recognize your status as a mortal. They have the power to end your life as well if they see fit," Hades retorted. "You must let them determine what to do on their own. It is their custodial duty to determine such and they do not need the help of a mortal to make that decision."

"Hades, enough. His life will not end," Lachesis said. She picked up the string and showed it to Hades. Her jet black hair surrounded her body like darkness. She projected what she saw to Niobe and Hades. They saw what they hated most. Apollo regaining his immortality and his future at Mt. Olympus and Hades' eventual defeat and retreat to the Underworld. "As you can see, he cannot die. We cannot end his life."

Hades growled. He yelled, "What do you mean you cannot end his life? All you have to do is cut the string!"

"You cannot defy Fate, Hades!" Atropos hissed. "If we killed him, then that would mean that we would need to create something that could amount to something as great as Apollo. Or worse, he could be reincarnated and everything would start at the beginning. It doesn't matter how it ends, the Olympians will be there to get him first."

"Then, I will just have to kill him myself!" Hades yelled.

"Hades, if you kill him, then you will be defying fate. There will be dire consquences," Lachesis explained.

Hades shook his head and said, "I live for consequences, Lachesis." He waved his hand and the Moirai were banished to Tartarus.

"Hades! Why did you do that? We may need them," Niobe said.

"I know where they are. I can feel them in the forest with those nymphs. I'll take care of it. I shall return and you will wait here." Hades disappeared, but returned just as quick as he disappeared.

"And what happened to 'I'll take care if it'?" Niobe remarked.

"The nymphs have placed a protection spell. That's the only reason as to why I cannot enter the forest. I've always despised those nymphs. They were always happy and giddy over the goodness of things. Makes me sick," Hades spat.

"We'll just have to come up with a new plan."

"What do you propose?"


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three.

Cyrus sat in the forest alone and he stared off into the distance. He searched his thoughts for the perfect tune, not knowing what the key was to the lyre that was his lock. And for this, it angered him and increased his frustration. His thoughts were interrupted when a few birds flew over to a nearby branch and started to sing. Cyrus' mouth turned upright at the melodious tune. He waved his finger as if he was conducting the birds and they responded with glee. He stopped conducting, but gestured to the birds to continue singing. He pulled his lyre into playing position and proceeded to play. He began to lose himself in the harmonious notes. He didn't notice, but more animals arrived and they began to frolic in the fields in happiness. The nymphs even came over and began to dance. The tune filled the forest with revitalization and happiness, but that wasn't all. Even in the Underworld, Hades and Niobe heard the tune. Hades and Niobe know that they have lost their chance as they fill the warmth from the music.

Artemis and the others rushed over to check on Cyrus and saw him in his shimmering immortal form, lost in the music. Cyrus finished the song and opened his eyes to see that he was surrounded by the animals and his friends. They were all smiling back at him and he knew at that moment that he had gotten what he had been looking for.

"Welcome back, brother," Artemis greeted him. Apollo smiled in response and in the background, a faint scream was heard throughout the forest, but everyone was too happy about Apollo's accomplishments that they were able to drown it out.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four.

"Niobe, stop your wailing! You should be more concerned about what is going to happen to you next," Hades scolded.

"What does that mean?" Niobe asked. "Are you leaving me?" She screamed.

"I never should have teamed up with you. Teaming up with a mortal never ends well. I will not deal with the anger of the other Olympians!"

"Hades! If I go down, then you're going down with me."

"You dare to threaten me? The god of the Underworld. The leader of all daimons? I will not back down from a mortal. I will no cower like a fool. I will not submit like a scared puppy with its tail between its legs. You will respect me and you will know your place."

The scene between Hades and Niobe dissipated as Hecate snapped out of the vision. She gasped at what she had just saw and decided that now was the time to move forward with Calliope's plan. She used her mind to visualize Artemis, Hestia, Athena, Apollo, Ares, Calliope, Aphrodite to the Underworld. She saw the nymphs gasp in surprise and sent a telepathic message to them, "Do not worry, they are safe. They shall return soon." She saw the nymphs relax and retreat into the trees. Hecate teleported to where the others were to explain the situation to them. She appeared before them and the others were just as confused as ever. "I apologize if this is the worst time to send you somewhere when dear Apollo has just earned his immortality."

"What is the meaning of this, Hecate?" Ares asked.

"Calliope and I will explain."

"This was from when you had that meeting with Hecate a while back, isn't it Calliope?" Apollo added.

"Yes, but I think Hecate better explain why we are here first," Calliope responded.

"I have transported you all with my magic because I have had a vision. As you can see, being the goddess of witchcraft has its perks. Anyway, I saw Niobe and Hades aruging with each other. Hades has abandoned her because he does not want to face the wrath of Zeus. Niobe no longer holds any power of Apollo and Artemis because they have regained their immortality. Because of this, Hades has banished Niobe to the pits of Tartarus. I couldn't think of a moment more sound than this. Calliope will continue my explanation."

"Hecate is here because she has a concentrated dose from the River of Lethe. It will purge the memories from Niobe and end her evil conquest of vengeance. Since Hecate was kind enough to let us know that Niobe is unguarded, now is the perfect time to act. We must force Niobe to drink the elixir."

"Are you completely sure that Hades is no longer apart of this little operation?" Ares questioned.

"Yes. I check in often to see if his decisions have changed and they have remained the same in the last half hour."

"Then, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Everyone murmured their agreement and they proceeded to walk into the pits of Tartarus. "Be on guard. Tartarus is attracted to the negative emotions in your mind and in your heart." They continued walking for what seemed like hours. They finally saw a figure that was curled in the fetal position, lost in her agonies. They recognized the figure as Niobe. Her skin was a sickly white and she looked as though she had lost a lot of weight. The only sign of life from her was the highlight of her blue veins and her trembling body. She realized she had company, so she raised her head and her bloodshot eyes locked onto Artemis and then to Apollo. She growled in anger. She rose up and the bones in her body was on stage for all eyes to see. Tartarus continued to feed off her anger and it helped strengthen her anger as well. She raised her hands and whispered, "Come to my aid, my children." Hecate quickly whispered a protection spell in Hellenic and warned everyone about the company they were about to receive. Ghostly spirits appeared by Niobe's side, seven girls and seven boys. All of the children that were killed by the hands of Apollo and Artemis. "Attack them, my children!" They remained frozen and stared at their mother. "What are you doing? Get them! They are the ones responsible for your deaths!" She screamed.

"No mother. You are the one responsible," one of her daughters spoke up.

"How dare you?" Niobe shrieked.

"It is true. You disrespected Leto, mother to Artemis and Apollo and in doing so, you have disrespected them. You cannot earn back their mercy, mother. We have only come to tell you that we will not fight for an unruly cause," her eldest son spoke up.

"We shall return to the Elysian fields where we will live in happiness and will no longer be bothered with your disrespect and vengeance," her youngest daughter said. Their transparent forms vanished with a hiss and Niobe let out a cry of despair. She fell to her knees and her head was drooped. She knew what was coming next. She put up no further fight and sat there, waiting. She knew that she couldn't be destroyed because as long as her soul lived, her revenge will go on. Hecate walked up to her and forced the elixir down Niobe's throat. Niobe swallowed it and asked, "What was that?"

"Water. You're going to need it in a place like this."

"Where am I?" Niobe asked. Hecate realized that she had forgotten how she got there and what she was doing. "Who am I?" Hecate teleported everyone out of there and left Niobe to her eternal solitude in Tartarus.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five (Epilogue)

_Five years later…._

Calliope and Apollo were married in a small, intimate ceremony where all of the Olympians attended. They decided to move into Mt. Olympus together and share Apollo's room. All of the Olympians returned to Mt. Olympus and everyone applauded Apollo and Calliope on their union. Calliope and Apollo spend their time writing poetry and when they aren't writing epic poetry, they are preparing a nursery for their baby boy. Calliope and Apollo have already decided on a name, Orpheus. They busy themselves with writing and baby preparations with happiness and they are ocasionally visited by Artemis.

How's Artemis you may ask? Artemis is out hunting again and she is happy to be reunited with the nymphs and her dear friend, Hestia. Although she continues to have her daily quarrels with Aphrodite, that doesn't stop her from achieving her goals and enjoying her time with her friends.

"Will you marry me?" Poseidon asked.

"You know I can't, Poseidon," Athena replied.

"But you want to."

"Yes, but I cannot just give up my custodial duties because of you. It would affect the mortal world drastically as well as this world. Being the goddess of law has no loopholes."

"Maybe there is a way…"

"And so you see, we are very much in love with each other and we would like you to create the memory of a sea goddess, Amphitrite. This way, Athena can travel between her body as the goddess of law and visit me through the guise of Amphitrite," Poseidon explained.

"I see…My daughter has told me much of you. I will do what you ask as I know that Zeus will not take this kindly, but he will understand," a brown haired figure replied.

"Oh thank you, Mnemosyne!" Athena said.

"So you have wished it and so it shall be granted." She waved her fingers and they watched the formation of the most beautiful of sea nymphs. "You can switch between bodies whenever you want to be with Poseidon while upholding your custodial duties. However, beware. Whenever you switch bodies, you leave the other in a vulnerable position. You may leave the body with me whenever you are in the other. I will watch over it."

"Thank you so much. Our gratitude knows no bounds." Athena switched into the body of Amphitrite and watched the other body crumple to the ground. Mnemosyne placed it in a protective case. They disappeared into the ocean and Poseidon welcomed her into his home. They shared a passionate kiss, never wanting to let go. "My answer is yes."

"Hmmm?" Poseidon asked, dazed by the love his was receiving from her.

"You asked me to marry you, silly. The answer is yes." Poseidon's eyes widened and he grabbed his and spun her around. He grabbed her hand and said, "We must start the wedding preparations." Poseidon pulled her to the castle and Athena laughed in reply. Mnemosyne's laughter could also be heard in the oceans.

Niobe was alone in Tartarus. She felt abandoned. Her children had left her. They had blamed her. All that was left were the nightmares of her depleted memories. She was suddenly approached by a dark figure. She called out, "Who's there?" The dark figure did not reply and continued to walk towards Niobe. It placed its hand on her forehead and the memories came rushing back. Niobe was angered upon remembering the last of the memories. She wanted vengeance. She wanted her children back.

"So, you wish to destroy Apollo and Artemis?" the dark figure asked.

"Yes and anyone that is affiliated with them. I am especially angered with Hades."

"I think I can resolve that. I have a feeling immortality becomes you. Would you oppose to such?"

"No, in fact, I encourage it." Niobe smiled devilishly.

"Very well." The dark figure raised a hand and waved it over Niobe's body. Her features became enhanced and she felt the power surge through her. Once her transformation was complete, the dark figure asked her, "How do you feel, Niobe?"

"I am not to be called Niobe any longer. That was a weak mortal. I am now Melinoe, the goddess of haunting spirits."

"I can help you, Melinoe. If you help me."

"Speak your name."

"You may have recalled the phrase 'at death's door'? Well you're at my door."

"Thanatos, I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

"And what a pleasure it is. I can see a bright future for us without the dictation of the other gods. We shall take over Mt. Olympus, the Underworld and the mortal world! You will rule by my side."

"A world without Artemis and Apollo. What an intriguing idea…" Thanatos took Melinoe's hand and they walked deeper into Tartarus, plotting.

TO BE CONTINUED IN

IMMORTAL SOUL NO.2:

OPPOSITES REPEL


End file.
